Articles about 'Medical Research Council'

A BLUEPRINT for blood cells: Cambridge researchers play leading role in major release of epigenetic studies

17 November 2016

Cambridge researchers have played a leading role in several studies released today looking at how variation in and potentially heritable changes to our DNA, known as epigenetic modifications, affect blood and immune cells, and how this can lead to disease.

Inability to safely store fat increases risk of diabetes and heart disease

14 November 2016

A large-scale genetic study has provided strong evidence that the development of insulin resistance – a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart attacks and one of the key adverse consequences of obesity – results from the failure to safely store excess fat in the body.

Does your empathy predict if you would stop and help an injured person?

31 October 2016

If you see an injured person by the side of the road, would you stop and help them, or are you more likely to walk on by? What motivates people to do good in such a situation?

Cambridge extends world leading role for medical imaging with powerful new brain and body scanners

24 October 2016

̽��ֱ��next generation of imaging technology, newly installed at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, will give researchers an unprecedented view of the human body – in particular of the myriad connections within our brains and of tumours as they grow and respond to treatment – and could pave the way for development of treatments personalised for individual patients.

Mediterranean diet could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in the UK

29 September 2016

Britons eating a Mediterranean diet could lower their risk of developing heart disease and stroke, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.

Dementia: Catching the memory thief

21 September 2016

It's over a hundred years since the first case of Alzheimer’s disease was diagnosed. Since then we’ve learned a great deal about the protein ‘tangles’ and ‘plaques’ that cause the disease. How close are we to having effective treatments – and could we even prevent dementia from occurring in the first place?

Time of day influences our susceptibility to infection, study finds

15 August 2016

We are more susceptible to infection at certain times of the day as our body clock affects the ability of viruses to replicate and spread between cells, suggests new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��findings, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may help explain why shift workers, whose body clocks are routinely disrupted, are more prone to health problems, including infections and chronic disease.

An hour of moderate exercise a day enough to counter health risks from prolonged sitting

27 July 2016

̽��ֱ��health risks associated with sitting for eight or more hours a day – whether at work, home or commuting – can be eliminated with an hour or more of physical activity a day, according to a study from an international team of researchers.

Missing link in epigenetics could explain conundrum of disease inheritance

07 July 2016

̽��ֱ��process by which a mother’s diet during pregnancy can permanently affect her offspring’s attributes, such as weight, could be strongly influenced by genetic variation in an unexpected part of the genome, according to research published today. ̽��ֱ��discovery could shed light on why many human genetic studies have previously not been able to fully explain how certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, are inherited.

Carrots and sticks fail to change behaviour in cocaine addiction

16 June 2016

People who are addicted to cocaine are particularly prone to developing habits that render their behaviour resistant to change, regardless of the potentially devastating consequences, suggests new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��findings may have important implications for the treatment of cocaine addiction as they help explain why such individuals take drugs even when they are aware of the negative consequences, and why they find their behaviour so difficult to change.

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