Health

An EU-funded study provides new insight into how the brain ages and shows that there might in fact be a link even between healthy ageing and Alzheimer’s.

EU-backed researchers have isolated human antibodies that neutralise, at low concentrations, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its known mutations. The most potent antibody is thought to be a good candidate for the development of preventive and therapeutic tools against the virus.

An EU-backed study has shown that when the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates, it can prevent killer T cells from recognising infected cells and eliminating them.

Transport and storage of some vaccines at below-freezing temperatures may soon become a thing of the past. New lipid research points the way to stabilising vaccines at room temperature.

EU-backed researchers have added to scientific knowledge on bacteria and fungi living on and inside plants. They found that the apple’s microbial communities vary from region to region and that oak seedlings inherit microbe genes from acorns.

A new study has measured the electrical conductivity of a carbon nanotube with magnetic molecules inside it and provided greater insight into their behaviour.

EU-backed researchers have identified a protein encoded by the MSI2 gene that could lead to new therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

An international research team has discovered that Enterococcus faecalis, a bacterium largely responsible for infections acquired in hospitals, had adapted to hospital conditions long before the emergence of modern healthcare institutions.

A company participating in two EU-funded projects has received new funding, helping it to ramp up production of bio-based insect pheromones and market them worldwide.

An EU-funded project has reported 49 % growth in Europeans’ consumption of plant-based foods in 2 years.

A study showing a negligible risk of parasitic worms in four European farmed marine fish species suggests that these fish should be exempted from current EU regulations requiring freezing treatment.

EU-backed researchers have developed a second-generation double antibody that targets two different sites of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In trials using mice, the antibody provided protection against the virus and its variants and stopped it from mutating.

Valuable insight into the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has allowed EU-funded researchers to analyse the inhibitory mechanisms of antiviral drugs such as remdesivir.

The first part of a pivotal clinical study trialling a new steroid-like drug called vamorolone for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is now over. Data points to improved motor function and fewer side effects than other steroids.

A recent EU-funded study investigates the genetic factors common amongst people with both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs).

Researchers have received the go-ahead for the first-in-human phase I/II clinical trial for a radical new inhibitor of Myc, a protein implicated in the formation of most human cancers.

EU-backed scientists have created a unifying framework that can predict the behaviour of neurons in critical, highly fluctuating systems.

An EU-backed company has launched a new graphene-based lubricating oil that results in more compression and less wear and tear in the engine parts of cars and motorcycles.

An EU-backed study compared the effectiveness of common antidiabetic medications in reducing the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Based on the results, sulfonylurea drugs do a better job than metformin.

Italian Institute of Technology senior scientist Arash Ajoudani has received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS) Early Career Award 2021. He’s the first researcher in Italy to win this award.