15% of child deaths linked to infections, new report finds14 December 2023Fifteen per cent of child deaths in England over the last three years are related to infection, according to a new report published today [14 December] by the University of Bristol’s National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) team. The report uses the NCMD’s unique data on all child deaths in England to examine 1,507 infection-related deaths between April 2019 and March 2022.
Dose matters: HIV drug could prevent coronaviruses, study finds5 December 2023Coronaviruses are a global public health risk, with three highly infectious species, including SARS-CoV-2, emerging in the last 20 years. New research by the University of Bristol has shown how an HIV drug could stop many coronavirus diseases, including the SARS-CoV-2 variants, when given to infected cells at the right concentration. The findings could strengthen the arsenal of antiviral drugs available to combat current and future coronavirus outbreaks.
New research demonstrates the ability of ADDomer™ to tackle viral infections29 November 2023New research has demonstrated the potential for the ADDomer ™ platform to produce thermostable vaccines and reagents to tackle viral infections The study led by the University of Bristol and Imophoron, a biopharmaceutical company developing thermostable nanoparticle vaccines using its ADDomer platform, is published in Antibody Therapeutics today [29 November].
New treatment intervention for male urinary problems shown to reduce symptoms24 November 2023A new intervention for men with urinary problems trialled across GP practices has shown a sustained reduction in symptoms. Findings from the University of Bristol-led Treating Urinary Symptoms in Men in Primary Healthcare (TRIUMPH) study, involving over 1,000 participants and 30 GP practices, have been published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Feeding dogs raw meat increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant E. coli20 November 2023Feeding dogs raw (uncooked) meat increases their risk of excreting E. coli that cannot be killed by a widely used antibiotic - ciprofloxacin - researchers at the University of Bristol have found from a study of 600 healthy pet dogs.
Bristol primary health care professor awarded NIHR award20 November 2023A University of Bristol professor of primary care and GP is one of six researchers to have been awarded a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professorship. Professor Matthew Ridd, from Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, will carry out research to treat eczema in children and identify and address children’s food allergies.
Bristol soil study unearths microbe diversity discovery15 November 2023Human impacted soils tend to harbour different microbial communities to those areas less affected by human activities, a team of researchers working with Bristol school children have found.
Biosciences and AI merge with launch of new UKRI Network6 November 2023Bringing artificial intelligence (AI) and biosciences together to tackle major societal challenges is the aim of a new five-year £1.6m project involving the University of Bristol and several other UK universities.
£10.5 million investment to revolutionise future vaccine manufacture
3 November 2023A new collaborative initiative between UK universities and countries worldwide to share cutting-edge vaccine technology to prevent future global outbreaks of infectious diseases has been awarded £10.5 million from the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Being taller throughout life may protect against heart disease and stroke3 November 2023Being taller during the course of a person’s lifetime could protect against heart disease and stroke in later life, according to a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, which analysed height and genetic data on over 454,000 individuals, is published in the pre-print publication* medRxiv.
Fossil fuels responsible for heart arrhythmias in mammals1 November 2023One of the most common byproducts of the burning of fossil fuels, phenanthrene, causes heart arrythmias in mice, proving for the first time it is toxic to mammals, new research has discovered.
Type 2 diabetes remission diet impacts on metabolic health26 October 2023People with type 2 diabetes who took part in a diet-assisted weight loss trial, showed differences across a wide range of potential biomarkers of metabolic health one year later, according to the results of a new study.
Research Paper of the Year award for Bristol-led childhood eczema study25 October 2023University of Bristol-led research comparing the effectiveness and safety of different types of moisturiser for childhood eczema has won the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year (RPY) Award 2022.
First-of-its kind hormone replacement treatment shows promise in patient trials20 October 2023A first-of-its kind hormone replacement therapy that more closely replicates the natural circadian and ultradian rhythms of our hormones has shown to improve symptoms in patients with adrenal conditions. Results from the University of Bristol-led clinical trial are published today [20 October] in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Breakthrough in treatment for world’s leading cause of kidney failure in children19 October 2023A potential treatment for the world’s leading cause of kidney failure in children needing dialysis has been discovered by an international team of scientists. The University of Bristol-led breakthrough is published today [19 October] in Med.
Amitriptyline helps relieve IBS symptoms16 October 2023A cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in patients seen in GP surgeries, new research presented today [16 October] at UEG Week 2023 has found.
Groundbreaking genomics project will improve global diversity in population health insight13 October 2023An international collaboration is aiming to improve global health by uncovering the effects of genomic and environmental diversity on differences in disease risk observed across the global population, thanks to a new partnership of 20 research groups from around the world.
Reductions in sexual mixing ended mpox outbreak in England, while vaccination has prevented resurgences in 202311 September 2023The rapid outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in 2022 likely resulted from high levels of sexual mixing among some gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with the initial downturn in cases probably due to a reduction in sexual contacts among these men, according to new research led by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Behavioural Science and Evaluation. The HPRU is a partnership between the University of Bristol and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Global research on HIV prevention to be transformed thanks to £5 million award5 September 2023Researchers from seven international institutions hope to transform traditional strategies used to tackle global HIV prevention for key populations particularly affected by the virus, thanks to a new £5 million Wellcome Discovery award to Professor Peter Vickerman at the University of Bristol.
Gene therapy hope for children with kidney disease10 August 2023Researchers at the University of Bristol have made a remarkable step forward in finding a potential cure for a type of childhood kidney disease.
New Bristol Evidence Synthesis Group awarded £2.5m27 July 2023A new University of Bristol-based evidence synthesis team has been awarded £2.5 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Long Covid not caused by COVID-19 immune inflammatory response, new research finds4 July 2023Long Covid, which affects nearly two million people in the UK, is not caused by an immune inflammatory reaction to COVID-19, University of Bristol-led research finds. Emerging data demonstrates that immune activation may persist for months after COVID-19.
GPs have a key role to diagnose vulval lichen sclerosus26 June 2023Primary care professionals should think beyond thrush and genitourinary symptoms of menopause (GSM) when women present with vulval symptoms and consider the diagnosis of vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS), research led by the University of Bristol suggests.
Wearable monitor detects stress hormone levels across a full 24-hour day21 June 2023Early warning signs of diseases caused by dysfunctional levels of stress hormones could be spotted more easily thanks to a new wearable device developed by endocrine researchers. This is the first time it has been possible to measure changes to people’s stress hormones as they go about normal daily activities, across both day and night. The new collaborative research led by the University of Bristol, University of Birmingham and University of Bergen has the potential to revolutionise how diseases of the stress hormone system are diagnosed and treated.
Scientists discover critical factors that determine the survival of airborne viruses21 June 2023Critical insights into why airborne viruses lose their infectivity have been uncovered by scientists at the University of Bristol. The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface today [21 June], reveal how cleaner air kills the virus significantly quicker and why opening a window may be more important than originally thought. The research could shape future mitigation strategies for new viruses.
Study provides insight into miscarriages in tsetse flies15 June 2023Tsetse are biting flies that transmit the parasites causing sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in animals. Female tsetse flies, which give birth to enormous, adult-sized live young, can experience miscarriages and these are more likely as they get older.