Health news from 2019

December

Pigs can be used to test human flu vaccines, say Pirbright scientists

Pigs may be a good model for testing seasonal human flu vaccines, suggest findings from the BBSRC-funded Pirbright Institute. In a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, a study led by Dr Elma Tchilian showed that pigs infected with the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic virus produced lower levels of virus if they had been immunised with the vaccine used during the 2017-18 human influenza season.

May

Copyright free (Pexels/Creative Commons CC0)

Eating blueberries every day improves heart health press release

Eating a cup of blueberries a day reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease - according to new research led by the University of East Anglia, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard and across the UK. New findings published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that eating 150g of blueberries daily reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15%.

The image shows disturbed distribution of immune cells in a Peyer's patch during worm infection. Copright: The Roslin Institute

Gut worms may hinder the spread of prions to the brain news

A study of an infectious brain condition that destroys nerve cells helps to explain why some individuals may be at more risk than others. The study shows how the progression of prion diseases to the brain is slowed if animals have previously been infected with a gut worm.

April

Copyright free: Pixabay/ Creative common CCO)

Genetic study reveals how gut bacteria work to keep us healthy press release

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Glasgow, have announced a new advance in our understanding of how bacteria in our gut can provide positive health benefits. Published today in Nature Chemical Biology, these breakthrough findings provide evidence that it may be possible to design drugs that can mimic these positive health benefits in a way that might be used to treat diseases such as type II diabetes.

Copyright: dave_valler/iStock/Thinkstock

£14.8m investment to enhance health and livelihoods in the developing world BBSRC press release

BBSRC has awarded £14.8 million to support thirteen projects aimed at tackling global challenges. The Global Challenges Research Funding is targeted at two specific themes.

Parkinson's clues seen in tiny fish could aid quest for treatments news

Parkinson’s patients could be helped by fresh insights gained from studies of tiny tropical fish. Research using zebrafish has revealed how key brain cells that are damaged in people with Parkinson’s disease can be regenerated.

The restriction or inhalation of common sugar could one day treat a range of respiratory diseases. Copyright: Fritz

Sugar could be sweet solution to respiratory disease news

Restriction or inhalation of common sugar could one day treat a range of respiratory diseases, according to new research led by University of Manchester biologists.The study in mice reveals how the ability of cells to use glucose helps to regulate the immune system during lung inflammation.

March

People tend to unwittingly choose a life partner who is likely to have a comparable life expectancy. Copyright free (Elizabeth Tsung on Unsplash/Creative Commons CC0)

People choose romantic partners with similar lifespan news

People tend to unwittingly choose a life partner who is likely to have a comparable life expectancy, research suggests. They also unconsciously select mates who share similar risks of illnesses - such as high blood pressure or heart disease - according to a genetic study.

February

From Bird Flu to Bovine TB: £3m announced to continue the fight against animal-to-human diseases news

It is estimated that zoonoses – diseases capable of passing from animals to human - are responsible for 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million human deaths worldwide each year. As well as threatening human and animal health, zoonotic diseases affect livestock production, causing economic and social harm to communities in both developed and developing countries. Around $220 billion was lost globally between 2000 and 2010 due to zoonotic disease.

Pioneering study could offer protection to patients with rare genetic disease press release

Skin cells taken from patients with a rare genetic disorder are up to ten times more sensitive to damage from ultraviolet A (AVA) radiation in laboratory tests, than those from a healthy population, according to new research from the University of Bath. It is hoped the work, which has involved designing a brand new molecule with potential to be added to sun cream, could benefit those with Friedrich’s Ataxia (FA), as well as those with other disorders characterised by mitochondrial iron overload, notably Wolfram Syndrome and Parkinson’s disease, where UVA rays from the sun may pose particular challenges.

Tim Etheridge from the University of Exeter with some of the worms in test cassettes. Copyright: University of Exeter

Space worms set to help researchers understand muscle loss news

Following a space flight to the International Space Station and back to earth thousands of tiny worms are set to help researchers understand more about muscle loss in astronauts. During spaceflight an astronaut’s body changes. Losing muscle mass can affect their ability to work on a long space mission. Astronauts can lose up to 40% of their muscle after 6 months in space.

C. elegans worms with a fluorescent protein, imaged using a confocal microscope. Copyright: Dr Laetitia Chauve, Babraham Institute

What can worms tell us about human ageing? news

Worms can tell us more about human ageing than you might think, according to research led by the Babraham Institute. In a cluster of papers, the latest of which has just been published, shows how researchers have used the tiny worm C. elegans to understand more about the link between metabolism and ageing.

January

Hens that lay human proteins in eggs offer future therapy hope press release

Chickens that are genetically modified to produce human proteins in their eggs can offer a cost-effective method of producing certain types of drugs, research suggests. The study - which has initially focused on producing high quality proteins for use in scientific research - found the drugs work at least as well as the same proteins produced using existing methods.

Copyright: Norovirus – a highly infectious virus that can cause outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting. (C) NCCID

Scientists find new way to target norovirus family news

Researchers have made a significant break-through in understanding how a family of viruses, including the norovirus, initiate infections. The new study, published in Nature and led by the University of Glasgow, reveals the inner workings of the calicivirus family, which includes norovirus and sapoviruses – highly infectious viruses that can cause outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting.