Medicine, Health

Paraplegic rats learn to walk again unaided. Scientists discover why.

New research shows that older adults can still grow new brain cells.

Computer simulated models to test infant bone strength could help manufacturers design safer car seats.

Out of the five existing human malaria species, Plasmodium falciparum is known to have the most devastating impact. Better understanding its life cycle could lead to more effective treatments, which is precisely what the SPARk project set out to achieve.

The SUPPORTING LIFE project has developed an app that makes compliance with the Community Case Management (CCM) strategy much easier than it was, whilst also helping local health assistants make better medical decisions. The app has been tested in Malawi, where stakeholders were quick to adopt it.

New research sheds light on the health risks posed by sick passengers at 35 000 feet.

New research shows that the more Europe’s youth visit other Member States, the more civically engaged they will become at home.

With their growing use in recent years, genetic tests have received a lot of attention. A new study explored how they are evaluated.

Scientists have discovered hundreds of genes involved in the development of diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

New research shows that a high-fat Mediterranean diet with nuts and extra virgin olive oil could modify the function of specific cell genes. This should help in the fight against several conditions, especially cardiovascular disease.

Scientists show that tiny, nano-engineered capsules relieve pain up to 20 times longer than a standard injection, and with no side effects.

The dramatic diversification of animals could be explained by a revolution within their own biology, rather than the planet’s rising oxygen levels. This is the novel hypothesis of a team of researchers who presented their findings of a recent study based on evidence from proteins found in tumours.

With the prevalence of allergy and asthma on the rise around the world, the race is on to explain this increase and stem the tide. A recent study finds a clue in an unlikely source… intestinal worms.

Empathy encourages prosocial behavior, while an empathy deficit has been linked to psychological disorders. By further examining the mechanisms involved, new research hopes to offer risk analysis and better treatment for antisocial behaviour.

Unhealthy food provokes our immune systems to react similarly to its response to a bacterial infection, apparently making the body’s defences more aggressive over the long term. These are the findings of a recent study, which also reveals an impact on genes.

A new study has shown that vaping, generally seen as a safer alternative to smoking, may still raise the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. The research team tested the effects of e-cigarette smoke on healthy mice and human cells, reaching the conclusion that although it is safer to drag on an e-cig, it’s still a major potential health risk.

Analysis of the skeletons of victims of the 1545-1550 cocoliztli epidemic in Mexico reveals the presence of salmonella enterica Paratyphi C, a pathogen that causes enteric fever.

Lack of access to a caesarean section, or complications arising from one, accounts for many deaths in developing countries, but now a team of scientists has identified that a simple drink of bicarbonate of soda could make all the difference.

A team of scientists and clinicians led by an EU-funded researcher has managed to record the brain activity of a premature, new-born baby during resting and during an epileptic seizure.

Old adage? Urban myth? Either way the saying ‘You are never further than two metres from a rat’ tends to make people look around themselves nervously. Since our move into settlements first gave rats the environment they needed to thrive, we’ve been battling their numbers – for the most part unsuccessfully.

A new study suggests human parasites were responsible for the spread of the plague and that the rat may have got a bad rap!

Frailty in the elderly has multiple adverse health outcomes, including disability, morbidity, falls, hospitalisation, institutionalisation, and even death. One project is adding tools to help healthcare professionals treat an ageing population.

Animal and human investigations indicate that the impact of trauma experienced by mothers affects early offspring development, but new research is also discovering that it is also actually encoded into the DNA of subsequent generations.

By mapping the brains of more than 800 people, scientists have found positive links between the way we behave and the way our working memory can carry out its functions.

New research from Cambridge University, supported by European Union funding, has added weight to the theory that education protects against Alzheimer’s disease.