People with advanced cancer could be saved from pain, fatigue and appetite loss, following research that sheds light on how the symptoms develop. The findings suggest that controlling the immune system of people with terminal cancer may help improve their quality of life. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied cancer progression in more than [...]
Cancer patients could benefit from new insight into how tumours respond to radiotherapy, a study suggests. Tiny sensors that monitor conditions inside tumours grown in the lab could help doctors improve treatments for patients, researchers say. The technique could be used to design treatment plans that maximise the impact of radiotherapy and minimise side effects, [...]
More than 1,000 people have had their entire genetic make-up decoded as part of a long-term study to gain insight into why some people’s brains age better than others. Scientists in Edinburgh have sequenced the DNA of more than 1,300 people taking part in a decades-long study into ageing and memory. The development will enable [...]
People with type 2 diabetes could be helped by the discovery of a gene linked to leanness. A drug that affects the activity of the gene has been shown to reduce the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in obese mice. Researchers say an improved version of the medicine could be developed as a therapy for [...]
Fresh insights into how our cells control muscle development could aid understanding of muscular dystrophy and other inherited diseases. Scientists have discovered a way in which proteins in our cells help to control genes in our DNA, which are involved in forming muscle. Their finding explains an apparent paradox in which proteins linked to a [...]
A drug for breast cancer that is more effective than existing medicines may be a step closer, thanks to new research. Scientists have identified a chemical compound that is highly effective at blocking the growth of breast cancer cells in the laboratory. The compound – called eCF506 – targets a molecule called Src tyrosine kinase [...]
A major study to find interventions that prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s dementia has recruited its first participant. The £50 million (€64 million) Europe-wide initiative aims to improve understanding of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and how it leads to dementia. Julie Duffus, from near Edinburgh in Scotland, is the first person to take [...]
