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Scientists have linked post-operative changes in gut bacteria to improvements in metabolic diseases. Image Credit - Sue Sapp (CC BY 2.0)
health | frontier research
16 April 2019

Can gut microbes and genes do the job of weight loss surgery?

Mice that have undergone weight loss surgery experience a change in the composition of their gut bacteria and the functioning of their genes, leading scientists to explore the possibility of mimicking these changes to develop a non-surgical treatment for obesity and liver disease in humans. 

An automated wheelchair with an exoskeleton arm is designed to help people with varying forms of disability carry out daily tasks independently. Image credit - AIDE, Universidad Miguel Hernandez
health | ict | industry
26 March 2019

Robotic arms and temporary motorisation – the next generation of wheelchairs

Next-generation wheelchairs could incorporate brain-controlled robotic arms and rentable add-on motors in order to help people with disabilities more easily carry out daily tasks or get around a city.

Prof. McShane's team is trying to simulate an immune response using proteins from the TB bacteria. Image credit - John Cairns
interview | health
22 March 2019

A new TB vaccine is within reach – Prof. Helen McShane

Nearly 100 years ago scientists developed a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB). Today, there are 10 million new cases worldwide and 1.6 million deaths from the disease every year. Increasingly, these cases are becoming difficult to treat as the bug that causes the disease can be resistant to antibiotics. However, several new TB vaccines are under development and there is growing optimism that a new vaccine will emerge, says Helen McShane, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, UK. This could save millions of lives, she said, but more work is needed to reassure the general public that vaccines are safe and effective.

Human trials for possible treatments are getting started more quickly when an outbreak hits. Image credit - European Commission DG ECHO, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
health
06 March 2019

Preparing for the outbreak: helping research swing into action in central Africa

When an outbreak strikes, speed is critical. Health workers must act quickly not only to contain and treat an emerging or re-emerging disease, but also to use this window to evaluate potential treatments and vaccines. And the challenge becomes even greater in sub-Saharan Africa when you’re trying to develop new approaches in the face of multiple emerging diseases.

By understanding more about walking and balance, researchers hope to develop new treatments for cerebral palsy. Image credit - Paul Eisenberg, licensed under CC BY 2.0, image was cropped
health
26 February 2019

Cerebral palsy: studying baby steps could lead to better treatments

Understanding the progression from the stepping reflex to independent walking could help find new therapies for children with cerebral palsy (CP) – a movement disability caused by brain damage before, during or shortly after birth.

New studies using mice microbiota could open the door to understanding age-related changes in humans. Image Credit - Flickr/Pedro Simoes CC BY 2.0
health
18 February 2019

Bacteria keep us healthy – but could they keep us young?

A study in mice has indicated that the make-up of bacteria in the gut is linked with learning abilities and memory, providing a potential avenue of research into how to maintain cognitive functioning as we age.

Elephants might hold secrets for how humans can fight cancer and slow down ageing. Image credit - Virpi Lummaa
health | frontier research
14 February 2019

Elephant genes suppress tumours. Could studying this help us prevent cancer?

The genetics and ageing rate of elephants could hold clues to helping us find better ways to fight cancer and lead healthier, longer lives.

Fear due to a traumatic situation usually becomes generalised. For example, being mugged in a dark alley could cause a person to start fearing dark, narrow passages. Image Credit - Flickr/Franck Michel
health | frontier research
13 February 2019

Heartbeats and memory suppression – the new tools for controlling fear

Most of us feel afraid when faced with a threat or danger, but people with phobias and anxiety feel overwhelming levels of fear in situations that are relatively harmless. Scientists want to moderate this response by using drugs to wipe out scary memories or by harnessing the power of heartbeats to improve therapy.

This video covers three days and shows brain tumour cells breaking off and invading a lab-grown mini-brain. Video credit - Wenjing Zhou
interview | health
04 February 2019

In a picture: Hunting down guerrilla tumour cells – Prof. Rolf Bjerkvig

Professor Rolf Bjerkvig, a specialist in brain cancer research, tells us why guerrilla cells make the disease so hard to treat. 

For babies, the process of learning how to speak is a highly interactive one. Image Credit - Pixabay License
health
31 January 2019

Why are children so good at learning languages?

When it comes to learning languages small children beat machines hands down, even though they are exposed to only a fraction of the vocabulary fed into algorithms. So what exactly makes them so good?

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