News

Study in mice shows potential for gene-editing to tackle mitochondrial disorders

16 February 2022

Defective mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ that power the cells of our bodies – could in future be repaired using gene-editing techniques. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have shown that it is possible to modify the mitochondrial genome in live mice, paving the way for new treatments for incurable mitochondrial...

Cambridge spin-out aims to realise the power of genomic data in precision medicine

7 February 2022

Cambridge spin-out Zetta Genomics has raised £2.5 million in new seed funding from Nina Capital, APEX Medical and Cambridge Enterprise to advance its genomic data management technology and power the discovery and delivery of precision medicine at scale. XetaBase is built on the open-source OpenCB platform, the first proven...

Cambridge coronavirus vaccine enters clinical trial: Needle-free vaccine targets COVID-19 variants and future coronaviruses

16 December 2021

Safety trials are underway for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting COVID-19 virus variants and relatives that threaten future coronavirus pandemics. The first volunteer is expected to receive the vaccine today at the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility. Developed by Professor Jonathan...

Large-scale genetic study reveals new clues for the shared origins of irritable bowel syndrome and mental health disorders

8 November 2021

An international study of more than 50,000 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has revealed that IBS symptoms may be caused by the same biological processes as conditions such as anxiety. The research highlights the close relationship between brain and gut health and paves the way for development of new treatments...

Whole genome sequencing increases diagnosis of rare disorders by nearly a third

8 November 2021

Whole genome sequencing from a single blood test picks up 31% more cases of rare genetic disorders than standard tests, shortening the ‘diagnostic odyssey’ that affected families experience, and providing huge opportunities for future research. A definitive genetic diagnosis can really help patients and their families...

Gut bacteria accumulate many common medications and may reduce their effectiveness

14 September 2021

Common medications can accumulate in gut bacteria, a new study has found, altering bacterial function and potentially reducing the medications’ effectiveness. If we can characterise how people respond depending on the composition of their microbiome, then drug treatments could be individualised Kiran Patil These...

Biological ‘fingerprints’ of long COVID in blood could lead to diagnostic test, say Cambridge scientists

20 July 2021

Markers in our blood – ‘fingerprints’ of infection – could help identify individuals who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, several months after infection even if the individual had only mild symptoms or showed no symptoms at all, say Cambridge researchers. Because we currently have no...

Apollo Therapeutics launches with £100m investment

21 June 2021

Pioneering collaboration initiated by the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London A pioneering collaboration to speed development of breakthrough medical discoveries—devised by the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London and embraced by...

Switching off heart protein could protect against heart failure

27 May 2021

Switching off a heart muscle protein could provide a new way for drugs to combat heart failure in people who’ve had a heart attack, according to research led by the University of Cambridge and published in the journal Nature . After years of research we’ve revealed an entirely new and promising way that could help the...

Scientists develop new class of cancer drug with potential to treat leukaemia

27 April 2021

Scientists have made a promising step towards developing a new drug for treating acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare blood disorder. In a study published today in Nature , Cambridge researchers report a new approach to cancer treatment that targets enzymes which play a key role in translating DNA into proteins and which could...