Health

Elephants might hold secrets for how humans can fight cancer and slow down ageing. Image credit - Virpi Lummaa

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?

Chicks' in-built preference for face-like shapes has led to a simple test to detect autistic spectrum disorder in babies. Image Credit - Flickr/Alex Starr,CC BY-SA 2.0

health | frontier research

28 January 2019

Chick-inspired autism test for newborn babies to help early intervention

Giorgio Vallortigara didn’t set out to develop software that could detect whether babies have autism. A neuroscience professor at the University of Trento in Italy, his areas of expertise include animal cognition – he’s into the brains of honeybees, zebrafish and newly-hatched chicks.

Redesigning allergen molecules could cure allergies - a chronic condition that affects more than 150 million Europeans. Image Credit - Andrew Goloida, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

health

24 January 2019

Could hacking the immune system cure allergies?

Scientists are redesigning natural allergens to help the immune system defend against them, in a move that could eliminate the side effects and lifelong medication of treating allergies - the most common chronic condition in Europe.

Bilingualism was previously thought to confer an element of protection against age-related cognitive decline. Image credit - Pexels, licensed under CC0

health

16 January 2019

Claims that bilingualism keeps brains young could be ‘wishful thinking’

Speaking two languages is a highly valuable skill but is an unlikely defence against age-related cognitive decline as previously thought, according to new research on ageing and bilingualism.

Prof. Luke O’Neill says that it could offer new treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Image credit - Professor Luke O’Neill

interview | health | frontier research

09 January 2019

Understanding immune system switches will spark new drugs

Identifying the chemical switches that turn different parts of our immune system on and off is opening up new avenues for treating diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis – and potential new uses for discarded drugs, according to Professor Luke O’Neill, an immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Diagnosing dyslexia before children start to read would be the 'holy grail' for researchers. Image credit - Jay Inslee, CC BY-ND 2.0

health | frontier research

08 January 2019

Noise and motion links to dyslexia pave way for early diagnosis

Most children are able to learn language almost effortlessly. But for those with communication disorders such as dyslexia, mastering their native tongue can be a challenge. Researchers are exploring how links with noise, language and motion could help diagnose problems earlier and pave the way for better treatment.

health

05 December 2018

Extended napping could cause cognitive decline in older people

Regular naps may be one of the privileges of retirement but research is pointing to napping as a contributor to cognitive decline. Scientists are now testing the idea that older people should instead meditate or learn a language to preserve brainpower and wellbeing.