Global community will assess environmental impact of clinical trials

The collaborative initiative will publish a publicly available methodology for calculating and comparing the carbon footprint of centralised and decentralised clinical trials. A global, not-for-profit alliance that advocates for greater collaboration in life sciences R&D,...

Pain or gain? How the brain chooses

Imagine having to choose over and over between what you enjoy doing and the pain that it might cause you, whether physical or emotional. If you live with conditions such as depression, anxiety, or chronic...

Precision breeding for a sustainable future: unpacking the future of genomics

Neil Ward, General Manager of PacBio EMEA, examines the potential impact of the UK’s Precision Breeding Bill. Genomic sequencing holds the potential to unlock powerful insights that will advance our understanding of all life. In...

Protecting the confidentiality of individuals vs. the desire to improve healthcare through data

Wendy Lloyd-Goodwin, Founder of Life Science Law, looks at the implications of a new EU-wide framework for health data, including for research and clinical trials. The EU is hoping to achieve a quantum leap forward...

Detecting viruses in a pinprick

A novel method of detecting viruses in very small volumes has been developed in a collaboration between scientists at Swansea University, Biovici Ltd and the National Physical Laboratory. Their work – published in Advanced NanoBiomed...

Potential breakthrough in treatment of rare disease

Biotech company Actigen has initiated a clinical development programme for GNR-055, a potentially breakthrough treatment for the life-limiting, rare disease mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) (also known as Hunter syndrome). Occurring in around 1 in...

New treatment on horizon against ‘parasite’ mitochondria

A groundbreaking study has solved the old enigma in mitochondrial DNA disorders and advances the prospect of enhanced treatments for patients. It not only resolves a long-standing conundrum in the molecular pathology of mitochondrial disease,...

DMT-assisted therapy: changing the way we think about depressive disorders

A ‘spirit molecule’ from the Amazon could be a game changer in the treatment of major depressive disorders. Dr Carol Routledge, of Small Pharma, talks to Karen Southern about her pioneering work with DMT. Psychedelic...

Personalised medicine: driving a need for greater diversity

Kate Shaw, CEO of Innovative Trials, investigates one of the biggest challenges facing clinical research today. Personalised medicines, particularly gene and cell therapies, offer new opportunities for treating serious conditions such as muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis...

Lab-grown ‘mini-stomachs’ could shed light on children’s COVID symptoms

A ‘lab-grown model’ of the human stomach, that can be used to study how infections affect the gastrointestinal system, has been developed for the first time. A UCL-led team of international scientists have built on...

Bacteria can develop strong immunity for protection against viruses

A new study hopes to exploit newly characterised defence systems in bacteria to compare changes to the human genome. University bioscientists have been working on the research to demonstrate the complex workings of bacterial innate...

Light therapy helmet could help dementia patients

A new infrared light therapy has the potential to help people with dementia. A pilot study recently investigated how transcranial photobiomodulation therapy (PBM-T) –transferred through a specially adapted helmet -- could boost memory, motor function...

Shaping the science of oncology

Dr Fiona McLaughlin is the new Chief Scientific Officer of Avacta’s Therapeutics Division. She talks to Karen Southern about her mission to develop first and best-in-class cancer drugs. From the day that Dr McLaughlin –...

TWO NEW FORMS OF THERAPY GIVE HOPE WHEN BLOOD CANCER RETURNS AND BOWEL CANCER...

Scientists trial new way to boost CAR T-cell therapy Cancer Research UK is collaborating with Aleta Biotherapeutics to trial a new therapy that reboots a treatment for some people whose blood cancer starts to come back. The new...

£7m invested in fight against antimicrobial resistance

Phico Therapeutics Ltd, a biotechnology company developing engineered phage technology as the basis of a new generation of antibiotics to overcome antibacterial resistance, has announced £7m in new investment. The financing was led by growth...

UK ‘Octopus’ trial tackling multiple sclerosis is a world first

A ground breaking mega-trial for progressive multiple sclerosis will be launched in the UK later this year. Octopus, so called because of its multiple arms, is a revolutionary clinical trial that will transform the way...