Should the UK introduce targeted prostate cancer screening? The case for and against

Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has called for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme for men most at high risk of the disease, reviving a national debate on how to save more lives and tackle health inequalities among men. The plan, supported by Prostate Cancer Research, would provide regular screening for men aged 45 […]

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Rise in youth mortality fuelled by mental illness, drugs, violence and other preventable causes

Global mortality continues to fall. Life expectancy has improved to unprecedented levels and deaths in young children have plummeted. Yet for adolescents and young adults, especially those aged 15 to 24, little progress has been made according to data from the latest Global Burden of Disease study. In parts of North America and eastern Europe, […]

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Does resistance training really improve your gut microbiome?

Lifting weights just two or three times a week can significantly change the trillions of bacteria living in your gut, and it might happen in as little as eight weeks. That’s according to a recent study – not yet peer-reviewed – finding that previously inactive people who began resistance training showed notable changes in their […]

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Minister Launches Ireland’s First National Endometriosis Framework

DUBLIN, Oct. 18, 2025 — Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, has unveiled the National Framework for the Management of Endometriosis, the first of its kind in Ireland. Developed by the HSE’s National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP), the framework aims to transform how endometriosis is recognised, diagnosed, and treated nationwide. A New […]

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How BBSRC and MRC manage risks of research misuse – UKRI

Since publishing our first policy statement in 2015, scientific research has evolved significantly, particularly in fields such as: engineering biology artificial intelligence machine learning The landscape of threats and societal concerns about the risks that may arise from research has also changed since then. As a result, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) […]

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The fungi living in the body play an important role in health – here’s what you should know about the ‘mycobiome’

The “gut microbiome” has become a popular health term in recent years. It’s easy to see why, with an abundance of research showing how important the trillions of microbes living in our gut are for health. But what many people might not realise is that the microbiome doesn’t only contain bacteria. It also contains other […]

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Record UK Drug Deaths Expose Urgent Need for Policy Reform: Richard Branson

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed that 2023 saw the highest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in England and Wales, continuing a grim upward trend. The surge is linked in part to nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids as potent as fentanyl — or stronger. Researchers at King’s College London caution that […]

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Driving agri-tech manufacturing forward in the UK – UKRI

Defra Minister Dame Angela Eagle unveiled Agri-Scale at September’s World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit. AgriScale will enable agri-tech businesses to scale within the UK, strengthening the country’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and driving growth in the agri-tech sector. By focusing on accelerating product manufacturing rather than early-stage research, AgriScale fills a critical gap in the innovation pipeline. […]

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How an everyday drug might offer protection against cancer

Ibuprofen is a household name – the go-to remedy for everything from headaches to period pain. But recent research suggests this everyday drug might be doing more than easing discomfort. It could also have anti-cancer properties. As scientists uncover more about the links between inflammation and cancer, ibuprofen’s role is coming under the spotlight – […]

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President Trump Announced Measures to Reduce Cost of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

The Administration Targets IVF Affordability On 16 October 2025, President Trump unveiled new policies designed to lower the cost of fertility treatments and improve access for American families. Speaking from the Oval Office, he declared: “We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children, and start the families they’ve always […]

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