How baby’s genes influence birth weight and later life disease
New research finds genetic differences that help to explain why some babies are born bigger or smaller than others. It also reveals how genetic differences...
NEWS INDEX
Epigenetic clock predicts life expectancy
UCLA geneticist Steve Horvath led a team of 65 scientists in seven countries to record age-related changes to human DNA, calculate biological age and estimate...
Researchers identify treatment target for blinding diseases
New research published in Cell Reports identifies a potential treatment target for blinding diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. In...
Alcohol shown to act in same way as rapid antidepressants
Can having a few drinks help people with clinical depression feel better? Yes. At least in terms of biochemistry. In a study published in the...
Rest and well-being: World’s largest survey
Over two thirds (68 per cent) of the public would like more rest, according to the world’s largest ever survey on the topic. The results...
Nanosensors could help determine tumors’ ability to remodel tissue
MIT researchers have designed nanosensors that can profile tumors and may yield insight into how they will respond to certain therapies. The system is based...
New insight into eye diseases
Many diseases that lead to blindness, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, are caused by the death of certain cells in the human retina that...
How the brain decides between effort and reward
Every action we take involves a cost to us in physical energy, yet studies about decision-making have tended to look at how we weight up...
Breastfeeding saves mothers’ lives, too, study shows
Breastfeeding as recommended — for a total of one year and exclusively for six months — could protect babies and their moms from premature death...
Brain’s biological clock stimulates thirst before sleep
The brain’s biological clock stimulates thirst in the hours before sleep, according to a study published in the journal Nature by McGill University researchers. Blue...
Smoking fathers increase asthma-risk in future offspring
A Norwegian study shows that asthma is three times more common in those who had a father who smoked in adolescence than offspring who didn’t....
Depression in pregnancy increases risk of mental health problems in children
Depression in pregnancy increases the risk of behavioural and emotional problems in children, says a new review published in The Lancet Psychiatry. The authors of...
Americas declared free of measles
The Region of the Americas is the first in the world to have eliminated measles, a viral disease that can cause severe health problems, including...
Antibiotics developed in 1960s show promise for TB therapy
First generation cephalosporins — antibiotics introduced as a treatment against bacterial infections in 1963 — now show promise for tuberculosis (TB) therapy, according to new...
Blood pressure drug may boost effectiveness of lung cancer treatment
A blood pressure drug may make a type of lung cancer treatment more effective, suggests a new study.The early-stage research, conducted on human cells in...