News

The University of Cambridge will be a partner in a £55million transatlantic research alliance to develop radical new strategies and technology to detect cancer at its earliest stage. A clinical facility will be designed and built in Cambridge to enable early phase clinical trials of diagnostic technologies as part of the International Alliance for …

Whole genome sequencing of tumour cells could help predict the prognosis of a patient’s cancer and offer clues to identify the most effective treatment, suggests an international study published today in Nature Medicine.Previously, it was like going on a voyage with only a limited map, but now, with whole genome sequencing we have a much better, mo…

People who achieve weight loss of 10% or more in the first five years following diagnosis with type 2 diabetes have the greatest chance of seeing their disease go into remission, according to a study led by the University of Cambridge.This [study] reinforces the importance of managing one’s weight, which can be achieved through changes in diet and …

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a platform that uses nanoparticles known as metal-organic frameworks to deliver a promising anti-cancer agent to cells.We focus on difficult diseases such as hard-to-treat cancers for which there has been no improvement in treatment in the last 20 yearsDavid Fairen-JimenezResearch led by Dr…

A combination of heart cells derived from human stem cells could be the answer to developing a desperately-needed treatment for heart failure, according to new research by scientists at the University of Cambridge, published in Nature Biotechnology.Our research shows the huge potential of stem cells for one day becoming the first therapy for heart …

Chris Skidmore, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, announced on 10 July 2019 a £30 million award to the University of Cambridge to support the new Cambridge Heart and Lung Research Institute (HLRI).This is an incredibly exciting project bringing together world-renowned expertise in cardiovascular and respiratory science at…

Some MRSA infections could be tackled using widely-available antibiotics, suggests new research from an international collaboration led by scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant infections are a major threat to modern medicine and we urgently need to find new ways to tackle t…

A team of UK scientists have identified the mechanism behind hardening of the arteries, and shown in animal studies that a generic medication normally used to treat acne could be an effective treatment for the condition.Artery hardening happens to everyone as they age...but up until now we haven’t known what controls this process and therefore how …

Researchers have developed a method that could drastically accelerate the search for new drugs to treat mental health disorders such as schizophrenia.Psychiatric disorders are increasingly recognised as disorders of the whole bodySabine BahnMental health disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide, accounting for 31% of total years live…

PolyProx Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it has raised £3.4m of seed capital.A spin-out of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge, PolyProx Therapeutics is based on over a decade of research and int…

Scientists in Cambridge and London have developed a catalogue of DNA mutation ‘fingerprints’ that could help doctors pinpoint the environmental culprit responsible for a patient’s tumour – including showing some of the fingerprints left in lung tumours by specific chemicals found in tobacco smoke.Mutational signatures ... allow us to treat tumours …

Around four million people in the UK carry genetic variants that protect them from obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge. The team say the discovery could lead to the development of new drugs that help people lose weight.This study drives home the fact that genetics plays a major role in …

A prescription drug to treat high blood pressure has shown promise against conditions such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and forms of dementia in studies carried out in mice and zebrafish at the University of Cambridge.The drug will need to be tested in patients to see if it has the same effects in humans as it does in mice. We need to be cautious, …

A new tool to predict an individual’s prognosis following a prostate cancer diagnosis could help prevent unnecessary treatment and related side effects, say researchers at the University of Cambridge.We believe this tool could significantly reduce the number of unnecessary – and potentially harmful – treatments that patients receive and save the NH…

A second person has experienced sustained remission from HIV-1 after ceasing treatment, according to a study published today in Nature.At the moment the only way to treat HIV is with medications that suppress the virus, which people need to take for their entire lives, posing a particular challenge in developing countriesRavindra GuptaThe case repo…