Cambridge University

New research, led by a team from the University of Cambridge, has demonstrated a way to rejuvenate old brain stem cells, making them act young again. The technique points to potential new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), but also broader ways to reverse general age-related brain changes.

​Considering how important an organ it is, it’s a shame that the heart is so bad at repairing itself. Stem cells are an emerging solution, and now researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Washington have combined heart muscle cells and supportive cells to help mend broken hearts.

​A study has homed in on a number of specific variants in a single gene that can help people either lose or gain weight. The research revealed that some naturally-occurring variants can offer protection against obesity, and may lead to new weight-loss drugs that mimic this genetic variation.​

We have known for well over a century that exposure to certain environmental agents can result in DNA mutations that ultimately cause cancer. Now a team of UK scientists has developed a way to identify specific mutational signatures in tumors that can be linked to certain carcinogens.​

Scientists report the “functional cure” of an HIV patient for only the second time ever. Known only as “the London patient”, the man received a transplant of bone marrow stem cells from a donor that had a resistance to the virus. The patient has now been in remission for 18 months.

In the largest ever academic study into belief in conspiracy theories, a team from the University of Cambridge polled people in nine countries to reveal how mainstream certain fringe conspiratorial views have become in recent years.

New research, led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, suggests spontaneous DNA mutations that occur when a baby's brain is growing in the womb may help explain why so many people develop dementia without having any prior family history with the disease.

​If doctors want to check someone's heart rhythm while that person is out and about, the patient is required to wear a Holter monitor. Now, however, UK scientists have developed what they claim is a cheaper, more comfortable and faster-performing alternative, in the form of the Heartsense monitor.

Scientists have created the most lifelike artificial embryos ever, guiding them through “the most important event in life” – a key development stage known as gastrulation. The researchers combined three types of mouse stem cells into an embryo that was just about ready to be implanted into a womb.

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest direct evidence of bread ever found, dating back over 14,000 years. It predates farming, leading researchers to suggest that the realization that cereals can be cultivated might have helped humans transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture.

Two new studies are raising concerns that the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system could trigger an increased cancer risk in cells. With human trials using the technique starting this year, the scientists behind these new studies urge researchers to be aware of this cancer-driving mechanism.

A landmark study has revealed that cholesterol in the brain may play a fundamental role in catalyzing the formation of amyloid beta clusters, thought to be a central mechanism leading to the devastating degenerative symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.