Articles about 'Medical Research Council'

Scientists discover two repurposed drugs that arrest neurodegeneration in mice

20 April 2017

A team of scientists who a few years ago identified a major pathway that leads to brain cell death in mice, have now found two drugs that block the pathway and prevent neurodegeneration. ̽��ֱ��drugs caused minimal side effects in the mice and one is already licensed for use in humans, so is ready for clinical trials.

Cambridge named as a centre for the UK Dementia Research Institute

20 April 2017

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has been announced as one of the centres that will form the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) alongside Cardiff ̽��ֱ��, the ̽��ֱ�� of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King’s College London.

Miniature ‘womb lining’ grown in lab could reveal secrets of menstrual cycle and early pregnancy

10 April 2017

Scientists at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge have succeeded in growing miniature functional models of the lining of the womb (uterus) in culture. These organoids, as they are known, could provide new insights into the early stages of pregnancy and conditions such as endometriosis, a painful condition that affects as many as two million women in the UK.

Visualising the genome: researchers create first 3D structures of active DNA

13 March 2017

Scientists have determined the first 3D structures of intact mammalian genomes from individual cells, showing how the DNA from all the chromosomes intricately folds to fit together inside the cell nuclei.

Cocaine addiction leads to build-up of iron in brain

21 February 2017

Cocaine addiction may affect how the body processes iron, leading to a build-up of the mineral in the brain, according to new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��study, published today in Translational Psychiatry, raises hopes that there may be a biomarker – a biological measure of addiction – that could be used as a target for future treatments.

' ̽��ֱ��Iron Lady' and the paradox of treating anaemia

03 February 2017

Iron deficiency can be fatal. But in countries where patients are also likely to have other serious diseases, so too can the iron supplements used to treat it. Nearly 12 years ago, Dora Pereira – sometimes referred to as ‘ ̽��ֱ��Iron Lady’ – was part of the team who had an idea for a new supplement. She now leads its clinical trial in ̽��ֱ��Gambia.

Patients recovering from depression show improvements in memory from the drug modafinil

17 January 2017

Modafinil, a drug used to treat narcolepsy – excessive daytime sleepiness – can improve memory in patients recovering from depression, according to new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��findings, published today in the journal Biological Psychiatry: CNNI, result from a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and offer hope of a treatment for some of the cognitive symptoms of depression.

Call of duty: fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone

13 January 2017

Working in a lab as a basic scientist can often seem far removed from the real world. A year since the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak over, one researcher tells how the skills he learned working in a lab in Cambridge turned out to be surprisingly useful in fighting one of the most terrifying disease outbreaks of recent times.

Capella building, which will house the Stem Cell Institute from 2018

Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute and Stem Cell Institute receive five year funding boost

07 December 2016

Two Cambridge institutes have today been confirmed as major research centres by biomedical research charity Wellcome, receiving continued support for a further five years. ̽��ֱ��centres will be co-funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) respectively.

Brain showing hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (plaques in blue)

New imaging technique measures toxicity of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

23 November 2016

A new super-resolution imaging technique allows researchers to track how surface changes in proteins are related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

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