Health

Liquids activated by plasma have similar anti-cancer properties as cold plasma, researchers have found. Image credit - Prof. Annemie Bogaerts

26 July 2018

Activating a liquid with plasma gives it anti-cancer properties

Lab-based results showing that cold plasma can stop the growth of cancer cells have sparked hope that it could one day be used to treat the disease in humans – but scientists first need to understand why it has the effect it does.

Uncertainty about the effects that many medications can have on the unborn child leave a large number of pregnant women with untreated conditions. Image credit - Greyerbaby, licensed under CC0

health

23 July 2018

Finding drugs that are safe to take while pregnant

Expectant mothers often face a dilemma about whether to take medication when they fall ill due to fears it might harm their unborn baby, but new research is unravelling which drugs are safe to take during pregnancy.

Endometriosis, where the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the pelvis, affects around one in 10 women. Image credit - KGH, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

health

19 July 2018

Non-invasive tests to provide quicker diagnosis of endometriosis

Non-surgical ways of detecting endometriosis, such as blood tests, could reduce the time taken for a diagnosis, and researchers hope it will have a significant impact on the quality of life of women who live with the complex and painful condition.

interview | health | frontier research

10 July 2018

Study of DNA flags could reignite centuries-old evolution debate

Evolution could be partly based on environmental adaptation and not just random mutations, re-opening a centuries-old debate between Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, according to Professor Thomas Carell from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.

health

05 July 2018

Worms may hold the secret to longer life

Research into the remarkable regenerative powers of worms and the insights they can give into battling diseases could help humans live longer and healthier lives.

health

02 July 2018

3D-printed living tissues could spell the end of arthritis

Bioinks containing stem cells are being used to 3D print living tissues that can be inserted into the body and provoke a damaged joint to heal itself.

health

29 June 2018

Removing barriers to healing

Severe inflammation caused by a patient’s immune system can be deadly, but stem cells found in human fat could provide new ways to protect against this toxic reaction.

health | industry

28 June 2018

‘Radical collaboration’ is shaking up the pharmaceutical industry – Carlos Moedas

‘Radical collaboration’ where multinational companies work together and share data instead of keeping it secret is helping to change the model of the pharmaceutical industry and solve problems more quickly, according to Carlos Moedas, the EU’s commissioner for research, science and innovation.

interview | health | open innovation

25 June 2018

Europe is in danger of being out-innovated in regenerative medicine – Prof. Ton Rabelink

Regenerative medicine should be governed, firstly, by the principle of do no harm, but a better balance between risk and regulation is required to bring innovations to market more quickly, according to Ton Rabelink, professor of internal medicine and head of nephrology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He says that Europe is in danger of falling behind countries such as Japan and the US if there is not more flexibility in how new therapies are regulated.

health | open innovation

22 June 2018

Plant-based molecules company wins EU’s women innovators prize

Dr Gabriella Colucci, the founder of two biotechnology companies that discover new plant-based molecules for industrial use, has won the top award of €100,000 in the 2018 EU Prize for Women Innovators, which was presented at a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium on 21 June.