news 2023

A large-scale study by the DYNAMIC project has produced promising results: the use of a new digital clinical decision-making tool has led to a twoto three-fold reduction in the prescription of antibiotics. These results, just published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine, marks an important step towards curbing bacterial antimicrobial resistance.

Anna Bergefurt defended her PhD thesis cum laude at the Department of Built Environment on December 18th. How do plants, noise, and the view outside affect your stress level, concentration or mood? PhD researcher Lisanne Bergefurt examined how different aspects of the physical workplace can influence employees' mental health.

Study highlights the positive impact of doctors working over the festive period - may prompt broadcasters to air new Doctor Who episodes each year at Christmas A new Doctor Who episode shown during the festive period, especially on Christmas Day, is associated with lower death rates in the subsequent year across the UK, finds a new study.

A ground-breaking study, published in Nature Human Behaviour , reveals a significant association between 74 early-life diseases and the likelihood of remaining childless throughout one's life, with 33 of these diseases prevalent in both women and men. Led by Aoxing Liu and senior authors Melinda Mills , Andrea Ganna and an international team, the study examined the link between 414 early-life diseases and lifetime childlessness in over 2.5 million individuals born in Finland and Sweden.

UCL researchers have developed a new gene therapy to cure a devastating form of childhood epilepsy, which a new study shows can significantly reduce seizures in mice. The study, published in Brain , sought to find an alternative to surgery for children with focal cortical dysplasia. Focal cortical dysplasia is caused by areas of the brain that have developed abnormally and is among the most common causes of drug-resistant epilepsy in children.

Health + Behavior UCLA study involving pediatric patients and mice identifies beneficial changes to gut microbiome The high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet is more than just a trendy weight-loss tactic. It has also been known to help control seizures in children with epilepsy, particularly those who don't respond to first-line anti-seizure medications.

A University of Queensland research project will investigate the online influences behind young people taking up vaping, and develop social media content to support them in quitting the habit. Dr Carmen Lim from UQ's National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research will lead the five-year project that will analyse pro-vaping social media content to understand young people's attitudes towards vaping.

Healthy lung development hinges on communication between immune cells and cells that line the airways, according to new research from UCL and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, with implications for the treatment of respiratory diseases. The study, published in Science Immunology , has created a first-of-its-kind immune cell atlas of the developing lung, revealing coordination between the immune and respiratory systems much earlier in development than previously thought.

Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine's Laboratory of Gene Regulation , led by Professor Doug Higgs and Dr Mira Kassouf , have published a study in the journal Cell , in which they reveal another piece of the puzzle of how the code in our DNA is read. In this study, the authors introduce the concept of "facilitators", a newly identified type of non-coding DNA that can help to drive gene expression.

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in Germany. People who suffer from it often lose control when eating and consume large amounts of food. Anja Hilbert, Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Leipzig University, is investigating how the disorder can be cured. In a recent pilot study, she and her research team found a positive effect of food-related neurofeedback.

Freepik A study led by scientists from INRAE, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Inserm, and the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, has revealed that the time at which we eat could influence our risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This study, carried out on a sample of over 100,000 people from the NutriNet-Santé cohort, followed between 2009 and 2022, suggests that eating a late first or last meal is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Those who binge drink and have a certain genetic makeup are six times more likely to develop alcohol-related cirrhosis, according to new research from UCL, the Royal Free Hospital, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The study, published in Nature Communications , is the first to assess how an individual's pattern of drinking, their genetic profile (via a polygenic risk score) and whether or not they have type-2 diabetes affects their risk of developing alcohol-related cirrhosis (ARC).

Body dissatisfaction at age 11 is linked to increased risk of depression by age 14, finds a new longitudinal study led by UCL researchers. The findings, published in The Lancet Psychiatry , show that body image concerns explain a large proportion of an association between body mass index (BMI) and depression in children, particularly in girls.

A team from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and the Hospital Universitario de la Princesa has identified previously unknown alterations in a subtype of immune system cells in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. The finding, published in The EMBO Journal , could open up new avenues for the development of more specific and effective treatments against this chronic autoimmune disease.

New research reveals surprising diversity of gut bacteria responsive to inulin A groundbreaking study led by David Berry and Alessandra Riva from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna has significantly advanced our understanding of prebiotics in nutrition and gut health.

A new study cautions against using the QbTest as a standalone diagnostic or screening tool for ADHD. Rather, the study authors highlight the intended use of the QbTest as a component of a full clinical assessment, since it could help clinicians reach faster diagnostic decisions and reduce waiting lists.

In a breakthrough discovery, scientists from VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology unraveled the mysteries of SlyB, a tiny but mighty protein found in the outer membrane of certain bacteria. When bacteria face stress, SlyB acts as a crucial guardian to protect the bacterial cell from dying. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of bacterial survival mechanisms but also paves the way for potential applications in antimicrobial research.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease in which the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is thought to play a role that has not yet been fully clarified. In particular, it was previously unclear why almost all people are infected with EBV in the course of their lives, but the virus only triggers MS in a small number of people.

Female patients with a history of suicidality experience an increased risk of suicidal ideation or suicidal planning in the days surrounding menstruation, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago. In the first longitudinal study of how suicidal thoughts and related symptoms fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, UIC researchers identified when some female patients are at the highest risk, offering new guidance for clinicians about when to focus interventions with suicidal patients.

Neuropsychology Physical and social activities in old age have a protective effect on the entorhinal cortex, researchers at UZH have shown. This important area of the brain, which plays a central role in memory, is impaired in patients with Alzheimer's disease, even in the early stages. Physical exercise is associated with a variety of positive health aspects.