Millions of people suffer from brain diseases. To better understand what happens in the brains of these patients, the EU-funded RobustSynapses project focused on synapses, where many brain conditions often first develop. By identifying key things that can go wrong, the project team has opened the door to potential new targets for life-saving treatments that would benefit everyone.
Humanity is realising that the state of our oceans has a direct impact on our wellbeing. To identify key priorities in the field of oceans and human health, the EU-funded SOPHIE project created a network of diverse experts. By changing harmful behaviours and encouraging sustainable practices, they hope to contribute to better health for both the oceans and citizens across Europe and beyond.
Short Bowel Syndrome is a medical disorder without a cure and with limited treatment options. But one EU-funded project aimed to change this by creating a functional small bowel using a patient’s own cells or tissue. The result has the potential to substantially improve the chances of survival and the standard of living for those suffering from the disorder.
Intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis (IAP), is a standard procedure used while delivering babies. According to EU-funded researchers, it may have important implications for infant health, increasing risks of obesity, diabetes, and antibiotics resistance. This finding opens the door to the development of new dietary strategies for minimising the effect of this very common medical procedure.
Patients who've gone through chemotherapy know that as effective as it may be, it also causes a lot of damage to otherwise healthy cells. The EU-funded NANOCARGO project has pushed a solution forward for breast cancer that would avoid such damage. This breakthrough could benefit the many thousands upon thousands of women in Europe who undergo treatment for breast cancer every year.
People born with sex characteristics that fail to fit into the typical definitions of male or female often face a lifetime of marginalisation, discrimination and social exclusion. They are also often subjected to potentially harmful surgical procedures. But new EU-funded research aims to change this by providing policymakers with fact-based information about the intersex experience.
Technology developed in an EU-funded project for high-energy physics experiments also has the potential to greatly enhance the sensitivity of PET scanners for medical imaging.
With life expectancy on the rise, more and more people are at risk of developing age-related eye diseases that could cause blindness. The key to treating and managing such diseases is to understand the risk factors involved. To help, one EU-funded project has developed tools that predict not only how likely a person is to develop eye diseases but also what can be done to lower this risk.
Hand loss is a disabling condition that negatively affects quality of life, independence, and mobility. Unfortunately, most of the prosthetic hands currently on the market offer limited feeling and a restricted range of motion. But this could soon change, thanks to an EU-funded project that is creating the tools needed to build a more 'life-like' prosthetic hand that will improve the lives of amputees.
An EU-funded project has pioneered new techniques to detect and share information about infectious disease outbreaks. These methods will be used in the future to improve public health responses to pandemics. Already, some of the tools devised in the project are being further developed to specifically tackle the spread of COVID-19.
