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The lifespans of flies and worms are prolonged by limiting the activity of an enzyme common to all animals, finds a UCL-led study. The enzyme - RNA polymerase III (Pol III) - is present in most cells across all animal species, including humans. While it is known to be essential for making proteins and for cell growth, its involvement in ageing was unexplored until now.

Marriage may lower the risk of developing dementia, concludes a UCL-led synthesis of the available evidence published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry . Lifelong singletons and widowers are at heightened risk of developing the disease, the findings indicate, although single status may no longer be quite the health hazard it once seemed to be, the researchers acknowledge.

An experimental therapy which involves a face-to-face discussion between a person with schizophrenia and an avatar representing their auditory hallucination may help reduce symptoms, when provided alongside usual treatment, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. The randomised controlled trial compared the avatar therapy to a form of supportive counselling (adapted specifically for the study).

A cheap and widely used drug, used to treat conditions such as heartburn, gastritis and ulcers, could work against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB), according to new research from UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The study, published today in PLOS Medicine , found that people who used lansoprazole, as opposed to similar drugs omeprazole or pantoprazole, were a third less likely to develop TB.

A new simple test that helps predicts which people with type 2 diabetes will benefit most from weight loss surgery has been developed by a UCL-led team. The study, published today in Diabetic Medicine , also reports that keeping the weight off after bariatric surgery is more important than which type of weight loss operation was done.

Adolescents whose fathers have depressive symptoms are more likely to experience symptoms of depression themselves, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. While the link between mothers' depression and depression in their children is well-established, the new Lancet Psychiatry study is the first to find an association between depression in fathers and their teenaged children, independent of whether the mother has depression, in a large sample in the general population.

Machine learning could improve our ability to determine whether a new drug works in the brain, potentially enabling researchers to detect drug effects that would be missed entirely by conventional statistical tests, finds a new UCL study published today in Brain . "Current statistical models are too simple.

People excluded from mainstream society in high-income countries have a tenfold increased risk of early death, according to research from UCL, homeless health charity Pathway and an international team of experts. The researchers found the mortality rate among socially excluded groups including homeless people, people who sell sex, prisoners and people who use hard drugs, was nearly eight times higher than the population average for men, and nearly 12 times for women.

A team involving UCL scientists has developed a new device that could revolutionise our understanding of the brain by allowing researchers to map the activity of complex neural networks that control behaviour and decision making, in a way never before possible. The Neuropixels probes are described in a paper .

Mammals only started being active in the daytime after non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out about 66 million years ago (mya), finds a new study led by UCL and Tel Aviv University's Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. A long-standing theory holds that the common ancestor to all mammals was nocturnal, but the new discovery reveals when mammals started living in the daytime for the first time.

The long term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a class of drugs commonly used to treat acid reflux, is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing stomach cancer, finds research by UCL and The University of Hong Kong. The observational study, published online in Gut, found that the risk rose in tandem with the dose and duration of treatment following elimination of Helicobacter pylori , the bacteria implicated in the development of stomach cancer.

Three major pulses of increased mobility in Europe over the last 10,000 years and a general upward trend in migration have been uncovered in a new study led by researchers from UCL, University of Cambridge and King's College London. The new method, published today in PNAS , allows, for the first time, to directly quantify changes in prehistoric migration rates using ancient genetic data over the last 30,000 years.

Scientists have developed a tiny cantilever that can weigh individual cells, which has enabled them to detect that a cell stops growing after catching a virus. Researchers from the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (LMCB) at UCL say the project shows how international collaborations between biologists and technology experts can drive new discoveries in biology.

A team of UCL researchers has devised a mathematical equation that can explain how our self-esteem is shaped by what other people think of us, in a new study published in the scientific journal eLife . The researchers used the new equation to identify signals in the human brain that explain why self-esteem goes up and down when we learn other people's judgments of us.

The gentle touch of another individual soothes the effects of social exclusion, one of the most emotionally painful human experiences, according to new UCL research. The study, published today in Scientific Reports and funded by the European Research Council, tested the impact of a slow, affectionate touch against a fast, neutral touch following social rejection and found a specific relationship between gentle touch and social bonding.

UCL researchers have developed a quick and simple test to predict which people with early-stage Parkinson's disease are likely to develop dementia. Lead researcher Dr Rimona Weil (UCL Institute of Neurology) says that dementia is a serious concern among people with Parkinson's, as the disease can often develop into dementia, but early warning markers are currently lacking.

Adding insulation to suspended timber ground floors commonly found in homes built before the Second World War can reduce heat-loss by up to 92 per cent, according to research from UCL and the University of Sheffield. A simple job for the DIY enthusiast, the research team claim that this intervention has the potential to dramatically reduce heating bills and contribute to the UK's CO2 emissions reduction targets.

A new UCL-led study has provided the strongest evidence to date that exposure to bullying causes mental health issues such as anxiety years later. The study, published today in JAMA Psychiatry and funded by MQ: Transforming Mental Health and the Economic and Social Research Council, found that the detrimental effects of bullying decreased over time, which the authors say shows the potential for resilience in children exposed to bullying.

The outcome of the independent special inquiry into regenerative medicine research at UCL, instigated by the UCL Vice-Provost (Research), has been published today. It investigated UCL's involvement in regenerative medicine research with a particular focus on UCL's relationship to Professor Paolo Macchiarini and the Karolinska Institute.

For boys at risk of developing psychopathy when they become adults, laughter isn't as contagious as it is for most other people, according to a new Current Biology study by UCL researchers. Individuals at risk of psychopathy show persistent disruptive behaviours alongside callous-unemotional traits.