A review of worldwide studies has found that add-on treatment with high dose B vitamins, including B6, B8 and B12, can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more than standard treatments alone (University of Manchester, 2017). The research, on the effect of vitamin and mineral supplements on symptoms of schizophrenia, is funded by the MRC and … Continue reading B vitamins reduce schizophrenia symptoms

The University of Liverpool has received a £390,000 grant from the MRC to conduct research into how mutations in genes can cause epilepsy (University of Liverpool, 2017) . Epilepsy is estimated to affect more than 500,000 people in the UK. This means that around one in every hundred people has the condition. Cells in the … Continue reading Research undertaken to discover genetic cause of epilepsy

Successful results of a trial led by the University of Liverpool which utilised nanotechnology to improve drug therapies for HIV patients has been presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, a leading annual conference of HIV research, clinical practice and progress (University of Liverpool, 2017). The healthy volunteer trial, conducted … Continue reading New nano approach could cut dose of leading HIV treatment in half

Researchers at Cardiff University have developed a new “highly-efficient” method of making disease-fighting compounds, including for an anti-malaria drug (BBC News, 2017). Sesquiterpenes can be found in spicy foods, plants and beer, and are used to battle colds, cancer and malaria. A Cardiff University team said it could synthesise them more quickly and cost-effectively than … Continue reading Cardiff University’s new way of making drug compounds

The first patient has been successfully recruited into an important new cancer study being co-ordinated by a team of experts at Cardiff University (Cardiff University, 2017). The trial could have profound ramifications for treatment of an uncommon form of cancer that affects the elderly, who cannot tolerate aggressive chemotherapy treatments. MONOCLE is a Phase II … Continue reading Cardiff University are coordinating a new cancer study

BHF Cymru are investing £2.3m in research at Swansea University to help reduce the number of premature deaths in young people (Swansea University, 2017). It is estimated that one person every fortnight aged under thirty five in Wales is a victim of sudden cardiac death with seemingly no explanation, largely due to undiagnosed inherited heart … Continue reading Research aims to reduce premature deaths in young people

Researchers at Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have discovered a new clinical approach that could provide a new avenue for treating a range of common diseases including cancer, strokes and high blood pressure (Cardiff University, 2017). The novel approach consists of indirectly targeting enzymes within cells, called kinases, which cause these often … Continue reading Novel approach to treating common diseases

A study by Cardiff University has shown a simple device for controlling and organising diabetes medication could prevent patients from developing life changing complications and save the NHS millions of pounds (Cardiff University, 2017). Participants in the study were given a NeedleBay device which allows the user to prepare insulin needles a week in advance, … Continue reading NeedleBay could prevent life changing complications according to Cardiff University study

The discovery of a new mechanism that controls the way nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other to regulate learning and long-term memory could have major benefits to understanding how the brain works and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy and dementia (University of Bristol, 2017). The breakthrough, published in … Continue reading New discovery could advance the understanding of neurological diseases

The National Research Network in Advanced Engineering and Materials (NRN AEM), an engineering network set up as part of the Welsh Government’s Science for Wales initiative, has been a significant support in aiding scientists to secure EU investments into Welsh universities (Business News Wales, 2017). Two projects funded as part of the NRN AEM have … Continue reading Welsh universities secure EU funding for the diagnosis and treatment of life threatening diseases