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Health - Pharmacology - 18:03

Leuven researchers present technique to grow tissue implants for bone defects
Researchers from KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven have managed to engineer living implants in the lab by mimicking how bone tissue is created in an embryo. The technology paves the way for bone-regenerating tissue implants created on an industrial scale using 3D bioprinting. The researchers expect the first living implants to be available to patients in four years.

Health - Pharmacology - 17:36

Immune cell health discovery could optimise cancer therapies
Scientists at UCL have discovered how immune cells, essential for tackling infections and cancers, are able to 'recycle' material within themselves in order to stay healthy and function, a breakthrough finding which could lead to more effective immunotherapies. In the study, published in Cell Reports , researchers investigated how 'autophagy' - the natural physiological process of 'self-eating' which allows intracellular components, such as mitochondria, to be degraded and replaced - takes place in liver-based T cells.

Health - Pharmacology - 14:33

Putting a finger on the switch of chronic parasite infection
Researchers find master regulator needed for Toxoplasma gondii parasite to chronically infect host; promising step toward infection treatment, prevention. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasite that chronically infects up to a quarter of the world's population, causing toxoplasmosis, a disease that can be dangerous, or even deadly, for the immunocompromised and for developing fetuses.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Could reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death
New research has shown that by changing the time course of voltage change early when the heart cell contracts it is possible to both withhold a potentially lethal electrical disturbance and improve the strength of cardiac contraction in heart failure at the same time. The research led by the University of Bristol and funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) is published today [20 January] in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Confirms lingering mood benefit of psychedelics
People who had recently used psychedelics such as psilocybin report a sustained improvement in mood and feeling closer to others after the high has worn off, shows a new Yale study published the week of Jan. 20 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results of a field study of more than 1,200 people attending multi-day arts and music festivals in the United States and United Kingdom confirm previous laboratory research indicating that psychedelic substances enhance feelings of social connectedness and improve mental well-being, the authors say.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Refining Breast Cancer Classification by Multiplexed Imaging
An imaging approach developed at UZH enables the study of breast cancer tissue in greater detail. It uses 35 biomarkers to identify the different cell types in breast tumors and its surrounding area compared to the current standard of testing single markers. This increases the precision of tumor analysis and classification - and improves personalized diagnostics for breast cancer patients.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Discovery of new T-cell raises prospect of ’universal’ cancer therapy
Researchers at Cardiff University have discovered a new type of killer T-cell that offers hope of a “one-size-fits-all” cancer therapy. T-cell therapies for cancer - where immune cells are removed, modified and returned to the patient's blood to seek and destroy cancer cells - are the latest paradigm in cancer treatments.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Blood test for eight gene signatures could predict onset of tuberculosis
Scientists at UCL have shown a blood test could predict the onset of tuberculosis three to six months before people become unwell, a finding which could help better target antibiotics and save countless lives. In the study, published in  The Lancet Respiratory Medicine , researchers sought to identify which, if any, gene expression signatures in blood could be used to predict the disease at a very early stage and before symptoms arise.

Pharmacology - Health - 20.01.2020

Prolonged breath-holding could help radiotherapy treatment of cardiac arrhythmias
A technique that enables patients suffering from heart conditions to hold their breath safely for over 5 minutes could have potential as part of a new treatment for cardiac arrhythmias, say researchers at the University of Birmingham. In a new study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers initially proposed the technique as a new means for earlier diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease.

Pharmacology - Social Sciences - 20.01.2020

Racial disparities in drug prescriptions for dementia
Disparities in drug prescribing suggest that black and Asian people with dementia are not receiving the same quality of care as their white peers, according to a new UCL-led study in the UK. Asian people with dementia are less likely to receive anti-dementia drugs, and take them for shorter periods, according to the findings published in Clinical Epidemiology .

Pharmacology - Health - 16.01.2020

Cheap roundworm drug found to enhance the effects of chemotherapy in prostate cancer
Scientists at the University of Glasgow and Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute have tested close to 1000 existing medicines and discovered that a cheap drug commonly used to treat parasitic worm infection could be a game-changing treatment for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men and the second most common cause of cancer death for men in the UK.

Pharmacology - Health - 16.01.2020

Patients needed for irritable bowel syndrome trial
Patients in GP surgeries in Bristol are being invited to take part in a large trial of low-dose amitriptyline for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) lead by researchers from the universities of Bristol, Leeds and Southampton. IBS is a common gut disorder affecting one in ten people. Abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habit affect patients' quality of life substantially and can force them to take days off work.

Pharmacology - Life Sciences - 16.01.2020

Probiotic drink could offer new way to combat antibiotic resistance
A probiotic drink could become a promising new weapon in the battle against antibiotic resistant bacteria, after a team of scientists at the University of Birmingham engineered and patented a key genetic element that can tackle the genetic basis of resistance. The team is now seeking funding for a clinical trial for the drink which has potential to work against many resistant bacteria commonly found in the human gut including E. coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Pharmacology - Health - 15.01.2020

Stepping up to the challenge: studying drug dosage during an Ebola outbreak
A specialist technique used to study drugs has been completed for the first time during an outbreak of Ebola virus disease. The study published today in eBiomedicine was a collaboration of researchers from Sierra Leone and the University's of Glasgow, Oxford, Cambridge and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Health - Pharmacology - 14.01.2020

Routine HIV screening in general practice boosts testing and early diagnosis
Offering HIV screening to new patients in general practice on a routine basis increases testing rates and improves detection and earlier diagnosis, according to research co-led by UCL and Queen Mary University of London HIV testing rates in general practice are low, despite testing being recommended in UK and international guidelines.

Health - Pharmacology - 13.01.2020

Reducing the risk of blood clots in artificial heart valves
People with mechanical heart valves need blood thinners on a daily basis, because they have a higher risk of blood clots and stroke. Researchers at the ARTORG Center of the University of Bern, Switzerland, now identified the root cause of blood turbulence leading to clotting. Design optimization could greatly reduce the risk of clotting and enable these patients to live without life-long medication.

Health - Pharmacology - 13.01.2020

Access to Medicare increases cancer detection, reduces cancer mortality rate
Access to Medicare significantly impacts detection of certain cancers and life expectancy following cancer diagnosis, according to a new study from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health that was recently published online in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management .

Health - Pharmacology - 10.01.2020

Collaboration improves odds of educating patients about HIV prevention pill
With recent news on social media regarding misinformation about HIV prevention pills, it's increasingly important for patients at high risk of getting the virus to be accurately informed. But who can best educate patients about HIV prevention? Social work and public health service providers-also known as psychosocial providers-are poised to educate patients about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, before linking them to primary care providers who can prescribe the medication, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Pharmacology - Health - 08.01.2020

In health care, does "hotspotting" make patients better?
Study shows no effect from program intended to reduce repeated hospitalizations by targeting high-cost patients. The new health care practice of "hotspotting" - in which providers identify very high-cost patients and attempt to reduce their medical spending while improving care - has virtually no impact on patient outcomes, according to a new study led by MIT economists.  The finding underscores the challenge of reducing spending on "superutilizers" of health care, the roughly 5 percent of patients in the U.S. who account for half the nation's health care costs.

Pharmacology - Health - 07.01.2020

Brain tumour research could help future precision medicine
New research on brain tumours could improve patient diagnosis and treatment options as part of a precision medicine approach. Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children and adults under the age of 40, with 16,000* people in the UK diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. The study led by the Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Bristol in collaboration with the Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) at Queen's University Belfast investigated the genetics of brain tumours.