Remarkable breakthroughs that herald the age of bionics
He was one of the television hits of the 1970s, the Six Million Dollar Man with his super-enhanced vision and reconstructed bionic limbs that that allowed him to run at incredible speeds and jump...
Fantastic Voyage
In 1966, movie-goers were treated to the release of a film called Fantastic Voyage, a Cold War science fiction thriller about a scientist who is nearly killed in an assassination attempt.
As he hovers between...
The science behind the breakthrough
The new technique, called “early pronuclear transfer”, involves transplanting the nuclear DNA from a fertilised egg into a donated egg, which contains healthy mitochondria, on the day of fertilisation.
Extensive studies conducted in a collaboration...
Bionic technology that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible
The loss of a limb through illness or accident can be a truly devastating blow and, until recent years, prosthetics did not really offer much in the way of compensation for sufferers. False limbs...
Are biosimilars here to stay?
The global biosimilars market is continuing to grow as it changes the face of medical science, according to a number of new reports.
Those working in the field argue that the growth can be attributed...
Creating an encyclopaedia of mammalian gene function
The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) is working to provide freely available information about the function of every gene in the mouse genome, based on the focused efforts of its 18 member organisations.
Understanding health...
In the picture
For many years, research into dementia has thrown up as many questions as it has answers. Now, a new project is seeking to change that and at its heart lies the rapidly-advancing science of...
When the worlds of sport and medicine colaborate
There was a time when sports science was viewed by many as a track-suited football trainer running onto the pitch clutching a magic sponge. It was all rather rudimentary, all groin strains and hamstrings.
However,...
The body in miniature
By Craig Brierley at University of Cambridge
The past few years has seen an explosion in the number of studies using organoids – so-called ‘mini organs’. While they can help scientists understand human biology and...
Producing crops that can resist the ravages of climate change
Amid all the talk about the impact of climate change, one of the areas sometimes overlooked is the potentially severe effect on the production of food.
However, increasing awareness of the threat posed by flood,...
Life or Death – The importance of Cold Chain Supply
All over the world, drug companies are producing medicines and treatments that are saving lives but when the pharmaceuticals leave the manufacturing plant that is only half the story.
Crucial to the success of the...
Bolder Faster Stronger, how far can we go in the battle against illness?
Earlier this year, Austrian researchers came up with the startling suggestion that life should be regarded as beginning at sixty five.
Researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis examined predicted ageing rates up...
Inhaler technology developing all the time
For many years, respiratory diseases have been treated with drugs delivered via inhalers.
Sufferers from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are extremely familiar with the technique but research is now advanced on using...
David Cameron – why I care
Here, David Cameron explains why he is so committed to supporting research into dementia.
It was the end of the week that I resigned as Prime Minister. I was in my constituency, visiting a care...
Hope for the future
Few areas of medical research are exciting as much interest as the potential offered by stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
Every day sees scientists making breakthroughs in a range of health conditions, each one...
Out of this world
At first glance, one of the most stunning achievements in space exploration, an investigation into rickets in sailors who died 470 years ago and cutting-edge cancer research may appear to have little in common.
However,...