Scientists have found a way to identify and interpret ‘signatures’ that reveal the complex genetic causes of some of the deadliest cancers – which often have a survival rate of less than 10%. The results, published today in Nature, could allow them to develop more accurate treatments and significantly improve survival rates.
Scientists have released the first real-world data from Africa on the effectiveness of two doses of AstraZeneca/ChaAd0x-1 COVID-19 vaccination, showing that while protective against SARS-CoV-2, immunity against the Delta and Omicron variants was lower, even in the context of prior infection or infection after vaccination.
Social isolation is linked to lower brain volume in areas related to cognition and a higher risk of dementia, according to research published today in Neurology. The study found that social isolation was linked to a 26% increased risk of dementia, separately from risk factors like depression and loneliness.
Researchers have shown that aggregation of amyloid-beta, one of two key proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, causes cells to overheat and ‘fry like eggs.’
Autistic individuals are more likely to have chronic mental and physical health conditions, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. Autistic individuals also report lower quality healthcare than others.
Watching too much TV is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease regardless of an individual’s genetic makeup, say a team of scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Hong Kong.
A study of ancient faeces uncovered at a settlement thought to have housed builders of the famous stone monument suggests that parasites got consumed via badly-cooked cow offal during epic winter feasts.
It’s often said that a little stress can be good for you. Now scientists have shown that the same may be true for cells, uncovering a newly-discovered mechanism that might help prevent the build-up of tangles of proteins commonly seen in dementia.
Cognitive impairment as a result of severe COVID-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points, say a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.
Seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards, with too little or too much sleep associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, say researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University.
Long-term use of implantable electronic medical devices – such as pacemakers and cochlear implants – is hampered by the body’s reaction to foreign bodies. Now, in a study in mice, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge has shown that this reaction can be dramatically reduced by incorporating an anti-inflammatory drug into the silicone coating around the implant.
Girls and boys might be more vulnerable to the negative effects of social media use at different times during their adolescence, say an international team of scientists.
Researchers have identified a link which suggests that lithium could decrease the risk of developing dementia, which affects nearly one million people in the UK.
A study has found that much higher doses of antibiotics are needed to eliminate a bacterial infection of the airways when other microbes are present. It helps explain why respiratory infections often persist in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis despite treatment.
Neurosurgery experts from Cambridge have led the largest ever study examining the surgical management of traumatic brain injuries, highlighting regional inequalities in both major causes and treatment of such injuries.
The criminal justice system (CJS) is failing autistic people, argue researchers at the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, after a survey of lawyers found that an overwhelming majority of their clients were not provided with adequate support or adjustments.
People with dementia struggle to adapt to changes in their environment because of damage to areas of the brain known as ‘multiple demand networks’, highly-evolved areas of the brain that support general intelligence, say scientists at the University of Cambridge.
Researchers have tested a variety of popular hacks for improving the fit of KN95 and surgical masks, and found that while some hacks do improve fit, they can also come at the cost of the wearer’s comfort.
Too little research is being conducted into problem gambling – and what research there is, is often funded by the gambling industry rather than by independent means, say a team of experts. They argue in favour of a 1% statutory levy on the gambling industry that could be administered by one of the UK’s main research funders.
Fourteen-day quarantine measures imposed on incoming travellers returning to England in summer 2020 helped prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, particularly among 16-20 year olds, say a team led by Cambridge scientists.