News
Genetic variation that protected against Black Death still helps protect against infection but increases autoimmune disease
7 March 2023
The same genetics that helped some of our ancestors fight the plague is still likely to be at work in our bodies today, potentially providing some of the population with extra protection against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, according to research led by scientists at University of Bristol. However, there is a trade-off, where this same variation is also linked to increased autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
- Genetic variation that protected against Black Death still helps protect against infection but increases autoimmune disease 7 March 2023 The same genetics that helped some of our ancestors fight the plague is still likely to be at work in our bodies today, potentially providing some of the population with extra protection against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, according to research led by scientists at University of Bristol. However, there is a trade-off, where this same variation is also linked to increased autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
- Depression linked to immune response in some people 1 March 2023 A link between depression and changes in counts of several types of immune cells in the blood has been revealed by researchers at the University of Bristol’s MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit.
- Professor George Davey Smith selected for visiting professorship to India 17 January 2023 Professor George Davey Smith has been chosen for India collaboration as part of the Royal Society Yusuf Hamied Visiting Professorships
- Seven IEU researchers recognised on annual highly cited list 15 November 2022 Seven core researchers within the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit have been named on Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers 2022 list.
- Famine and disease drove the evolution of lactose tolerance in Europe 27 July 2022 Prehistoric people in Europe were consuming milk thousands of years before humans evolved the genetic trait allowing us to digest the milk sugar lactose as adults, finds a new study. The research, published in Nature, mapped pre-historic patterns of milk use over the last 9,000 years, offering new insights into milk consumption and the evolution of lactose tolerance.
- Scientists discover genes that affect the risk of developing pre-leukaemia 14 July 2022 The discovery of 14 inherited genetic changes which significantly increase the risk of a person developing a symptomless blood disorder associated with the onset of some types of cancer and heart disease is published today in Nature Genetics. The finding, made in one of the largest studies of its kind through genetic data analysis on 421,738 people, could pave the way for potential new approaches for the prevention and early detection of cancers including leukaemia.
- New review of evidence highlights importance of adequate ventilation to prevent spread of COVID-19 in indoor settings 29 June 2022 Some public venues may need better ventilation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 following growing evidence of the potential for 'long distance' airborne transmission of the disease, suggests research published by The BMJ today [29 June].
- International siblings study sheds new light on the nature of the genetics of disease 9 May 2022 Genetic studies aim to find regions of the genome that associate with diseases or other outcomes. A new study has shown that for social traits these genetic effects are due to a mixture of direct effects (e.g. biological effects of DNA), and indirect effects (e.g. family or social environment). Whereas biological traits are mainly driven by direct effects.
- Childhood obesity increases risk of Type 1 diabetes 28 April 2022 Being overweight in childhood increases the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in later life, according to the findings of a new study that analysed genetic data on over 400,000 individuals. The study, co-led by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Oxford and published today in Nature Communications, also provides evidence that being overweight over many years from childhood influences the risk of other diseases including asthma, eczema and hypothyroidism.
- Excess weight almost doubles risk of womb cancer 19 April 2022 New research shows that lifelong excess weight almost doubles a woman’s risk of developing womb cancer, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study led by the University of Bristol and published today [19 April] in BMC Medicine.