Category: Health

Drug discovery is slow, expensive and often ends in failure, so no wonder scientists are exploring new ways to medicate disease. One source of hope lies in ‘drug repurposing’, where new uses are found for established medicines. For example, the humble dexamethasone proved a lifesaver during the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly reducing mortality in critical patients […]

Salamanders are remarkable creatures. If one of these amphibians loses a finger, it grows back. Furthermore, if you chop away a piece of heart or spinal cord, it will regenerate. Perhaps most impressively, they can even regrow a leg bitten off by a hungry predator. One of the most famous salamander species is the axolotl […]

While most Europeans enjoy a holiday in the sun, high energy ultraviolet (UV) light from sunshine damages the DNA in our skin. The best-known adverse effect of excessive UV exposure is erythema (sunburn), but excessive UV is also the main culprit in some skin cancers. As UV damage builds up, the skin cells stop functioning […]

At a hotel in the Scottish city of Aberdeen about 20 years ago, urologist James N’Dow and other doctors met a group of men who had suffered prostate cancer to ask for feedback on their care before and after surgery. The clinicians were stunned by the critical, albeit constructive, responses. ‘Frankly, they felt abandoned,’ said […]

Few human injuries are as catastrophic as those to the spine. An accident, disease or act of violence affecting the spine can result in poor function – even paralysis – almost anywhere in the body.  The spinal column is enormously complex, with limited capacity for regeneration and any health implications are usually long-term and chronic. […]

Not that long ago, the concept of the bionic human seemed far-fetched, but wearable robotic suits, brain-controlled extra limbs and mind-operated wheelchairs are now under active development. It brings the dream of human-machine integration much closer. ‘This is a super-exciting time for robotic technologies and advancements,’ said Professor Tamar Makin, a cognitive neuroscientist at the […]

Depression is a chronic illness and a first episode of lingering low mood – the kind that’s so severe it disrupts daily life – is often followed by relapses. Around half of sufferers experience the condition more than once. For many, it becomes a lifelong condition. In the European Union alone, 7.2% of people suffer […]

It’s actually quite easy for us to point out the problem — we have increasing temperatures, increasing frequency of heatwaves…it affects our physical and cognitive performance,’ said Lars Nybo, a professor of integrative physiology from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He worked on a project called HEAT-SHIELD designed to examine the effects of heat exposure on […]

Abstract There is an increased need for COVID-19 vaccination since the world is gradually returning to normal. Current evidence supports vaccination activity more towards viral suppression than COVID-19 prevention. This has led to divergent views regarding vaccination which may influence anti-vaccine attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. The study examined the role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes […]

Abstract Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating mental illness that contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. Assertive outreach treatment for patients with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders has been implemented to improve treatment adherence and outcomes. The suitability of this model of care outside the western context has not been fully established. We describe the […]