Category: Research in Edinburgh
-
Research reveals how the body can detect cancerous cells
Cancer is a group of diseases characterised by excessive cell division due to DNA damage, and can afflict many different cell types. Mutations often arise in genes involved in cell growth and survival, which makes cancer difficult to target and treat. However, the field of cancer therapy is moving forward at a swift pace, thanks…
-
Video GP appointments: The new alternative to face-to-face consultations
A pilot study conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the Universities of Warwick and Exeter has suggested that video consultations with a GP could be an alternative to face-to-face GP visits. This is a particularly contentious issue in most areas of work, as new technology is often used as a…
-
Multiple sclerosis: Pinpointing risk factors
Because Scotland is of the countries with the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, many Scottish researchers are trying to figure out how it develops and working towards new treatments. A research group based at the University of Edinburgh has just published a new Scottish Multiple Sclerosis Register (SMSR) in the Journal…
-
Functional neurological disorder: Investigating an invisible illness
Loretta had been hoping for a promotion. Instead, she woke up one morning to find that her entire left side, from her face to her leg, had stopped working. A&E suspected she’d had a stroke, but a battery of tests revealed nothing. Six weeks later, Loretta was still housebound. “I would have some days that…
-
Dog DNA could aid quest to help breeds breathe more easily
If you have ever taken a stroll through a popular dog park, you will have seen this classic sight. A dog owner strides purposefully ahead while their pug or french bulldog struggles to keep up, a cacophony of snorts, grunts and wheezes. These noises are part of the awkward, bumbling nature of pugs and bulldogs…
-
For best results, start early: Healthy meal-prep kits boost children’s long-term ‘health’
CW: Discussion of BMI and health in relation to socio-economic status Your childhood might shape your eating habits more than you know, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Bath suggests. With poor diet posing a major risk factor for the development of a multitude of disorders, such as…
-
How old is HIV? The United Kingdom and HIV/AIDS research
The discovery of a viral cause for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 1983 by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi at the Pasteur Institute in Paris marked a major achievement in scientific and LGBTQ+ history. In May 1986, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses gave it its current name: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV/AIDS ravaged the gay community…
-
This contraception is just for women? Think again
The University of Edinburgh is part of a groundbreaking trial, alongside nine other global sites including the United States, Sweden, Kenya, and Chile, testing a male contraceptive gel. The enrolment target is 450 couples worldwide with a staggered start – the University of Edinburgh is hoping to have completed enrolment by the end of March.…
-
New weapons in the fight against the ivory trade
Ivory trading has been illegal since 1989, but 40,000 elephants die each year because of this multibillion dollar industry. Could science end the ivory trade? With a recently published paper, Samuel Wasser and his team bring us one step closer. Ivory smuggling works in a pyramid-shaped hierarchy. At the base are poachers, who hunt elephants…