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Health

Current flu vaccines are not always effective as the virus constantly mutates. Image credit: Flickr/NHS Employers
health | open innovation
19 June 2017

Closing in on a universal flu vaccine

Unreliable yearly flu jabs could be a thing of the past as researchers close in on technology that will take down the deadly virus once and for all.

There’s a dangerous trend where apps that are the least evidence-based are downloaded more often. Image credit: Pexels/ Adrianna Calvo
health
08 June 2017

Researchers give weight loss apps much needed scientific merit

Half of European adults are either overweight or obese. Many turn to self-help apps as a means to burn excess fat, but despite hundreds of digital tools available very few help maintain a slimmer waistline and few are based on tried and tested science. 

Pre-eclampsia kills 59 000 women around the world every year. Image credit: 'You'll shine like gold in the air of summer' by David Salafia / Flickr is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
health
22 May 2017

Humble aspirin helping solve one-in-20 pregnancy threat

For most women, the first pregnancy is a joyous time that they will remember with tenderness for the rest of their lives. But for 5 % of all pregnant women around the world, the journey towards childbirth takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

Research on finger millet crops aims to boost essential vitamins to tackle malnutrition. Credit: ‘A Scene of Ragi’ by Thamizhpparithi Maari is licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
agriculture | open to the world | health
10 May 2017

New strains of staple crops serve up essential vitamins

More nutritious versions of staple crops could increase daily vitamin and mineral intake for millions of people with poor diets, helping to overcome undernourishment that can cause blindness, brittle bones, feeble muscles and brain damage.

Measles outbreaks could be first seen in anti-vaccine groups. Credit: Flickr/ Dave Haygarth
health
25 April 2017

Anti-vaccine groups act as early warning sign against epidemics

For some people the issue of vaccination isn’t about facts, it’s a matter of faith, and this unshakable belief has become an opportunity for health workers to prepare for potential outbreaks.

Low socio-economic status takes 2.1 years off life. Credit: ‘Camden town 2’ by Misterzee is licensed under CC BY 3.0
health | social sciences
24 April 2017

Blood samples give clues to social inequality

More than a decade’s worth of blood samples in Portugal and Ireland are being analysed to look for clues about the health impacts of socio-economic inequalities on children.

Prof. Toni Cathomen says that using CRISPR-Cas9 to correct eye disorders may be its first in vivo medical application. Image courtesy of Prof. Toni Cathomen
health | frontier research | interview
19 April 2017

CRISPR has revolutionised how we approach many diseases – Prof. Toni Cathomen

Re-engineering immune cells and modifying yeast to produce drugs are just two of the tantalising applications of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, says Professor Toni Cathomen, director of the Institute for Cell and Gene Therapy at the University of Freiburg, Germany.

Parkinson’s disease affects more than 4.6 million people around the world and there is currently no cure. Image credit: ‘Lewy Body alphaSynuclein’ by Marvin 101 is licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
health | open innovation
10 April 2017

Brain cell transplants could help treat Parkinson’s disease

Replacing lost brain cells may help undo the damage caused by Parkinson’s disease, researchers believe.

Researchers are figuring out ways to determine if some medications cause side effects like kidney damage. Credit: ‘End-stage kidney - a -- low mag’ by Nephron is licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
health | open innovation
07 April 2017

Drug testing breakthrough sees side effects before they happen

Expensive large-scale trials on no-hoper drugs could become a thing of the past after a European research collaboration worked out how to tell if a medication is likely to cause side effects before they actually appear.

There may be a connection between tau proteins, which are linked to Alzheimer’s, and insulin resistance. Image credit: ‘MAP2-tau in neurons’ by GerryShaw is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
health
28 March 2017

Could diabetes drugs curb our dementia epidemic?

People with lifestyle-related diabetes are at an increased risk of developing dementia and, with both conditions on the rise, scientists are scrambling to understand their connection in the hope of finding new treatments. 

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