http://ec.europa.eu//research/health/medical-research/index_en.html en Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:25 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:25 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pancaresurfup&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30014 "If I have received radiotherapy to my abdomen (to treat cancer) and I have a heart problem or a new cancer 30 years later, to what extent is this linked to the radiotherapy I received?" asks Dr Lars Hjorth of Lund University in Sweden. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-16:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pancaresurfup&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30014 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29973 The ability to measure concentrations of oxygen inside living human cells is a key requirement to help advance our understanding and treatment of a range of serious medical conditions. These include ischaemic stroke (where the stroke is caused by a blockage in the artery, preventing sufficient oxygen from reaching the brain), neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29973 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 Cancer causes some 13% of deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, some 90% are caused not by the original cancer, but by its spread to other parts of the body. These secondary cancers, known as metastases, are most often caused by 'circulating tumour cells' (CTCs) which escape from the primary tumour and travel around the body in the bloodstream. In the process, CTCs often undergo modifications that make them more resistant to treatment than the primary tumours. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_02_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29873 Despite a massive research effort, cancer is still a major killer in Europe. European researchers are working on a sugar-based drug-delivery system which they believe will boost the potency of anti-cancer drugs, helping them reach and destroy cancerous cells more effectively. The project team has developed particles tiny enough to invade cancer cells and deliver treatments to the very heart of the tumour.]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-02:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_02_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29873 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29773 A young scientist from a Czech research institute established in 2011 with European Union funding with the aim of becoming a leading European centre of science has made an important genetic discovery which could lead to more effective treatment for some forms of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. ]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29773 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_16_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29673 The hardening of arteries – also known as 'atherosclerosis' – can cause cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. New evidence has been uncovered strengthening the link between inflammation – a defensive reaction of the body – and cardiovascular diseases. This could lead to new innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies, and perhaps ultimately to a cure for atherosclerosis.]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-16:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_16_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29673 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mimic&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29635 A multidisciplinary EU-funded research team has successfully tested a pioneering HIV-detection technique that is ten times more sensitive than any identification method used to date. The new methodology, which offers a much simpler and cheaper naked-eye-based read-out and could be commercialised in future, has also achieved positive results in similar early detection tests for different types of cancer. ]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mimic&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29635 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29593 In countries with well-developed healthcare systems, dying as a direct result of a condition brought on by pregnancy is a remote and shocking possibility. Nevertheless, one such condition, pre-eclampsia, affects 2% of all first-time mothers, and, moreover, to date no viable screening test has been developed. ]]> Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29593 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-microgen&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29355 Most people associate bacteria with disease and contamination, leaving the microorganisms with few saving graces. Yet their reputation could be about to change over the next few years: researchers are engineering bacteria to provide alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels. And if they succeed, it will be thanks to projects like MicroGen, a European Union (EU) research project looking at new ways to generate renewable fuels from microorganisms. ]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-12:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-microgen&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29355 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29333 We are encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle but this advice could in fact be damaging our health. With ever more commercial food production, research shows that traces of pesticides used on crops can make their way into our food system and into our bodies where they can disrupt hormone function.]]> Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29333 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-plaprova&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29273 A European Union (EU)-funded research project has opened up a radical new era in the world of vaccine discovery and production. Focused on veterinary vaccines, the project's work has made possible a dramatically faster and more effective route to the creation of vaccines to combat some of the most devastating diseases affecting farm livestock. The same accelerated route can be used to uncover a vast new range of urgently-needed vaccines for humans as well. ]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-21:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-plaprova&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29273 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29253 For those unfortunate to suffer from kidney failure, an organ transplant may seem like the best long-term treatment. But kidney transplants are loaded with risk, the most salient being the rejection of the donor organ by the host’s body. Now, however an Irish-led research project has developed a new drug that could succeed in preventing organ rejection, offering hope to thousands of patients seeking donor kidneys.]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29253 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29233 Cancer is one of the most pressing health matters of our time. It is a disease that attacks the very building blocks of life, leading to uncontrolled cell division and disabling programmed cell death. Almost everyone has known at least one person who has had to cope with cancer; it remains one of the leading causes of death in Europe.]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29233 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29213 A Marie Curie research Fellow has uncovered a potential ally in the fight against obesity, together with a team of international researchers. The ally, found in our 'love handles', is a type of anti-tumour immune cell which protects against obesity and the metabolic syndrome that leads to diabetes. ]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29213 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29173 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis 2013 to Peter K. Gregersen, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA, Lars Klareskog, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Robert J. Winchester, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA "for their discoveries concerning the role of different genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis"]]> Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_08_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29173 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=world-cancer-day-2013 Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-01:/index.cfm?pg=world-cancer-day-2013 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29115 Thanks to the human genome project finished 10 years ago, scientists now know the full genetic code of human DNA, but they don’t yet fully understand how this genetic information is used in creating different types of cells with distinct functions.]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29115 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28913 A major European and global health issue is resistance to or inappropriate use of antibiotics. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that each year, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) results in 25 000 deaths and related costs of over EUR 1.5 billion in healthcare expenses and productivity losses. Over the last four years, there has been a significant increasing trend of combined resistance to multiple antibiotics in both Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli in more than one-third of the EU/EEA countries. In addition, in several Member States, between 25 % and up to more than 60 % of Klebsiella pneumoniae from bloodstream infections show combined resistance to multiple antibiotics.]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-09:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_01_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28913 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fear-memory&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28915 What are the mechanisms behind human learning? Achieving a better understanding of this complex question is not just an academic pursuit, given the prevalence of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Indeed, this line of research could bring significant benefits for Europe's ageing population, including treatments for conditions that lead to memory loss. ]]> Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-01-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fear-memory&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28915 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_12_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28813 Surveys conducted in several European countries have shown a high demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as an increasing number of citizens seek relief for disorders they feel cannot be treated with conventional therapy. As many as half of those surveyed said they used alternative healthcare for their needs. The European Commission estimates that spending on CAM by consumers now tops EUR 100 million. There are currently more than 150,000 registered medical doctors with additional CAM certification. But when it comes to advice on CAM, it was found in countries such as Ireland, Israel, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom that citizens sought the opinions of their social network of friends and family, rather than professionals, for advice.]]> Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_12_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28813 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-cellu&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28760 A Marie Curie Action (MCA) played a pivotal role in progressing the careers of two young medical researchers, bringing new hope of speedy recovery to millions of future sufferers of knee cartilage damage, and enabling a medical start-up company based in the Netherlands to develop a ground-breaking cartilage-repair technology and speed up its progress towards clinical trials and the eventual prospect of commercialisation. ]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-cellu&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28760 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-canceromics&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28759 Advances in microarray or lab-on-a-chip technologies have significantly improved our ability to study human cells and tissues. However, in order to develop novel therapies to combat such diseases as cancer, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms is required and this is only made possible by developing new technologies. ]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-canceromics&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28759 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-bioptrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28758 Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on a molecular scale, brings together different sciences. It is not just about the physics of atomic arrangements, but also about the chemistry of each element involved. The mix becomes yet more complex when living organisms interact with the tiny structures. But by embracing this complexity - bringing together chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers - a research project has provided new insights into nanotechnology. ]]> Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-18:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-bioptrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28758 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3d-anatomical&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28754 In French Guiana, as the distance between the expanding human habitat and the surrounding ecosystem is reduced, this has the potential to expose the population to new viruses and bacteria. European scientists are exploring how to improve research infrastructure and capacity to tackle the emerging threat of infectious disease in French Guiana and boost public health in the region. ]]> Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3d-anatomical&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28754 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-stronger&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28676 In French Guiana, as the distance between the expanding human habitat and the surrounding ecosystem is reduced, this has the potential to expose the population to new viruses and bacteria. European scientists are exploring how to improve research infrastructure and capacity to tackle the emerging threat of infectious disease in French Guiana and boost public health in the region. ]]> Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-12-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-stronger&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=28676 http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/medical-research/index_en.html For more information on Health and life sciences - Medical research, click the link above, which will take you to the Medical Research web site. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:25 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/medical-research/index_en.html