Research

When scientific curiosity paves the way for improved healthcare: Read more about promising studies and trials that lead to more effective drugs, procedures as well as medical guidelines.

News • Assessing bone quality via blood sampling

New device for diagnosing bone fragility

A new device for diagnosing bone fragility invented by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has been approved for marketing in the European Economic Area and…

News • Rare but potentially serious complication

First cases of encephalomyelitis resulting from monkeypox virus

As the monkeypox outbreak continues to spread around the globe, a rare but potentially serious complication of the virus has been discovered.

News • Dementia destigmatisation

"This Is Us": Alzheimer's storyline in TV drama found to have positive impact

The inclusion of a narrative about Alzheimer’s disease in primetime TV drama “This Is Us” was found to help reduce stigma around dementia and motivate family discussions about plans for aging.

News • Drug delivery research

'Tunneling' capsule to enable oral insulin intake

A newly developed capsule that tunnels through mucus in the GI tract could be used to orally administer large protein drugs such as insulin.

News • Cancer research

Key function of important leukemia gene demystified

The oncogene EVI1 causes an aggressive type of leukemia, but its exact function has been a mystery. A research team now showed that EVI1's cancer causing effect relies on activating a single gene —…

Article • Cryotherapy substitute

The surprising applications of ice cream in healthcare

From treat to treatment: Polish researchers explore the medical benefits of ice cream – despite the semi-serious presentation, a topic with surprising relevance for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

News • Photocatalytic surface

A new plastic film that uses room lights to kill viruses

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have developed a new plastic film that can kill viruses that land on its surface with room light.

News • Sex-specific approaches needed

Dedicated women’s heart centers can improve accurate diagnoses

An important prospective study showcases improvement in outcomes for women with ischemic heart disease by attending a multidisciplinary women’s health center.

News • Blood-brain barrier simulation

Artificial brain vessels advance drug testing

German researchers present a novel method for testing chemical agents that could help in the development of drugs against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

News • Desperate cancer cells

How tumors mutate their way out of a crisis (and become drug-resistant)

Researchers discovered that cancer cells mobilize a SOS response when they are desperate to resist anticancer drugs. The team also came up with an anti-SOS approach that blocked the mechanism in mice.

Osteoconductive PEEK biomaterial for injection molding

The specialty chemicals company Evonik and the Swiss plastics specialist Samaplast are combining their expertise in the development of an osteoconductive PEEK biomaterial for injection molding.

News • Hormone activation gone awry

How insufficient insulin processing leads to obesity

Overweight increases the risk of an imbalance in sugar metabolism and even diabetes – but the opposite is also true: insulin production deficits contribute to overweight, a new study shows.

News • Research presented at ESC 2022

Autoimmune disorders increase risk of cardiovascular disease

A large epidemiological study shows that patients with an autoimmune disorder have a substantially higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than individuals without autoimmune disease.

News • Surprising results

Experts expected smoking to increase during the pandemic – but the opposite happened

Danish smokers bought less tobacco and more quit smoking during the Covid pandemic, new research finds. This comes as a surprise given that mental health and exercise habits waned during the lockdown.

News • Impact of body constitution

Breast cancer: Tumour environment can affect prognosis

The interplay between the patient’s BMI, tumour size and cancer-specific proteins is of importance for the prognosis of breast cancer, a study from Sweden shows.

News • Adaptation to hypertension

"Cell chatter" critical for arterial thickening

New research shows that cell-cell signaling could play a key role in the thickening of arteries due to high blood pressure.

News • Genome instability

Gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 can lead to cell toxicity

Researchers identify critical spots on the genome where gene editing could cause an unwanted response, and they provide recommendations for safer approaches.

News • Greenhouse gas emissions

How climate change impacts human pathogenic diseases

A comprehensive assessment of scientific literature has uncovered empirical evidence that more than 58% of human diseases caused by pathogens, such as dengue, hepatitis, pneumonia, malaria, Zika, have been aggravated by climatic hazards.

News • For the first time

Similarity between schizophrenia and dementia dicovered

Researchers for the first time compared schizophrenia and frontotemporal dementia, disorders that are both located in the frontal and temporal lobe regions of the brain.

News • Gene therapy in the heart muscle

Targeting heart disease with viral vectors

Researchers have developed adeno-associated virus variants that target heart muscle cells and can thus be used for the precise treatment of heart diseases.

News • Underrated helper

T-cells: key for a new type of Covid-19 vaccine?

Researchers propose a new Covid-19 vaccine that specifically instructs the immune system to produce T-cells rather than antibodies - a promising alternative for people with a weakened immune system.

News • Hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis and more

Extreme heat increases likelihood of diabetes-related emergencies

Global warming could be especially dangerous for diabetes patients, a new study shows: Exposure to extreme heat was linked with more hospitalizations for diabetes-associated pathologies.

News • Effects on anxiety, depression

Is having a dog good for mental health? Yes and no, say experts

It is often believed that a close relationship between owners and their dogs can bring many mental health benefits to owners, but findings from a new study paint a more complicated picture.

News • Coronavirus infection

Hair and libido loss: list of 'Long Covid' symptoms grows

Long Covid sufferers have experienced a wider set of symptoms than previously thought including hair loss and sexual dysfunction, new research has found.

News • Muscle strength analysis

What a weak handgrip says about your health

Muscle strength is a powerful predictor of mortality that can quickly and inexpensively be assessed by measuring handgrip strength, researchers show in a new study.

News • CD4-PP vs. UTI

Reducing the risk of infection for patients with urinary catheters

Indwelling catheters through the urethra often cause bacterial infections. A newly discovered synthetic peptide is a promising treatment option, even against antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

News • Early dementia detection

Protein sensor detects Alzheimer's up to 17 years in advance

A sensor identifies misfolded protein biomarkers in the blood. This offers a chance to detect Alzheimer's disease before any symptoms occur. Researchers intend to bring it to market maturity.

News • Protective coating

Researchers develop spray-on 'Covid shield'

A sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses – including Covid-19 – over a sustained period has been developed by Australian researchers.

News • Vascular network research

How blood vessels 'remember' a stroke

Networks adapt over time and in this way form a kind of memory. German researchers show that the structure of blood vascular network is dynamic and can adapt to external factors.

News • Promising approach

Producing Covid-19 antibodies from chicken eggs

Researchers have been able to produce antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in hen eggs. Antibodies harvested from eggs might be used to treat Covid-19 or as a preventative measure.

News • Protein aggregation

Parkinson's: Why copper could make it worse

Copper exposure in the environment and the protein alpha-synuclein in the human brain could play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, researchers found.

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