Published in Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, the study adds to the emerging idea of the “gut-brain axis” – in which scientists suggest allows communication between the two organs in both health and disease.

The study casts more light on the biology of stroke, a life-threatening medical emergency that disrupts blood flow to parts of the brain often causing long-term effects to mobility and cognition.

Stroke patients are also at risk of secondary bacterial infections and often exhibit gastrointestinal symptoms including difficulty swallowing and constipation.

Increasing evidence suggests these gastrointestinal complications are associated with changes in the commensal microbiota – the community of “good bacteria” that normally keep our guts healthy.

The changes are seen both in stroke patients and in animal models of stroke, yet the underlying reasons for these gut symptoms and their importance for stroke severity or recovery have been poorly understood.

Previous studies from scientists who co-authored the current study have shown how signals from the nervous system may act to change gut immune responses following stroke.

The latest study, funded by the Wellcome Trust,  shows the axis may also work in both directions, with antibody-producing immune cells moving to the brain and the associated membranes during stroke – although the importance of this for stroke severity and prognosis is not yet known.

Using mice, the team studied the changes that happened in the small intestine after a stroke,  revealing populations of immune cells that make antibodies became altered in the first few days.

In particular they found that a specialised subset of cells that make an antibody called Immunoglobulin A (IgA) became hyper-activated. IgA acts to manage the populations of commensal bacteria that live in the intestine and determine gut health.

The researchers then found that mice lacking IgA do not exhibit the same degree of changes to the gut microbiome following stroke – suggesting altered immune function could in part explain some changes seen in the intestinal tract of stroke patients.

Lead investigator Professor Matt Hepworth from  the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunity and Inflammation at The University of Manchester said: “Stroke is a devastating neurological event but also has many long-term consequences that can leave the patient at risk of airway infection, as well as gastrointestinal complications.

“Working with neuroscientists, we were able to begin to uncover how the immune system in the gut becomes disturbed following a stroke, and how that might lead to changes in the way the gut deals with its “good bacteria”.

“We now think these immune changes might contribute to the intestinal symptoms and long-term complications seen in stroke patients.”

He added: “While the focus remains on stroke prevention, as well as early intervention to minimise the damage in patients who do suffer stroke we reveal new understanding of the secondary pathologies experienced throughout the body and that contribute to long-term complications for recovering patients.

“As immune-targeting therapeutics are increasingly used in the clinic, this opens up the possibility of treating immune driven disease symptoms following a stroke to improve patients’ quality of life.”

• The paper Cerebral ischaemic stroke results in altered mucosal antibody responses and host-commensal microbiota interactions  available . DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.106184.

Girls vaccinated before the age of 16 were found to be 80% less likely to develop cervical cancer. The reviews also confirm that HPV vaccines are only likely to cause minor, transient side effects such as a sore arm. The reviews were supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Professor Emma Crosbie, Honorary Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, was involved in the new Cochrane reviews.

Prof Crosbie, who is also Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Co-Theme Lead at the NIHR 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and Professor of Gynaecological Oncology at The University of Manchester, specialises in the screening, prevention and early diagnosis of gynaecological cancers.

She said: “Cervical cancer is an essentially preventable disease; we can prevent it through screening and vaccination. The Cochrane review looked at all the available evidence from all the studies that have been done so far looking at the effectiveness of HPV vaccination and its long-term safety.”

HPV is a family of common viruses, including the viruses that cause skin warts. Whilst many types of HPV are harmless, other ‘high-risk’ types can cause cancers of the cervix, anus, penis, vulva, vagina, and throat, and others cause anogenital warts.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and causes more than 300,000 deaths each year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. The new reviews confirm that vaccination against HPV can prevent most of these cancers from developing.

Prof Crosbie said: “Unfortunately, year on year, we have seen a drop in the number of people taking up vaccination. HPV vaccination is incredibly safe. The work we have done with Cochrane show there are no negative long-term health impacts associated with vaccination. Many millions of people have now been vaccinated with the HPV vaccine, and we have not seen any safety issues.”

Watch this video to hear Professor Crosbie discuss the importance of the HPV vaccine, alongside senior author, Dr Jo Morrison and Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, Laura Pope who was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Clinical trial evidence supports effectiveness and safety

The first review focused on randomised controlled trials and included 60 studies with 157,414 participants. They found that all HPV vaccines were effective in preventing infections that can lead to cancer and other HPV-related conditions, with no evidence of serious safety concerns.

Because cancers caused by HPV can take many years to develop, most studies did not follow participants long enough to measure direct effects on cancer itself. However, vaccines such as Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil-9 reduced precancerous changes in the cervix and other tissues in people aged 15 to 25 years, as well as the number of people needing treatment for HPV-related disease. The vaccines that included protection against the relevant HPV types significantly reduced the risk of anogenital warts.

Short-term side effects like mild pain or swelling at the injection site were common, but serious side effects were rare and occurred at similar rates in both vaccine and control groups.

“Clinical trials cannot yet give us the whole picture on cervical cancer, as HPV-related cancers can take many years to develop,” says Hanna Bergman, co-lead author. “That being said, the evidence from these trials confirms that HPV vaccines are highly effective at preventing the infections that lead to cancer, without any sign of serious safety concerns.”

Real-world evidence confirms long-term protection

The second review analysed evidence from 225 studies involving more than 132 million people across multiple countries. It looked at observational study designs, including population-level studies comparing outcomes before and after introduction of the vaccine. Findings show that HPV vaccination clearly reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes of the cervix. The results came from studies of various designs across different follow-up periods.

Girls vaccinated at or before the age of 16 were 80% less likely to develop cervical cancer than unvaccinated girls. The review also found substantial reductions in pre-cancerous changes (known as CIN2+ and CIN3+), and in anogenital warts, which are also caused by HPV infection. Reductions were greater in people who received the HPV vaccine at or before the age of 16.

Importantly, the review found no evidence to support claims that HPV vaccination increases the risk of serious adverse events. By cross-referencing alleged adverse events with real-world follow-up data, the review team found no relationship between reported serious side effects and HPV vaccination.

“We now have clear and consistent evidence from around the world that HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer,” says Nicholas Henschke, co-lead author. “An important finding was that the commonly reported side effects of the vaccine, often discussed on social media, were found to hold no evidence of a real link to vaccination.”

Global impact and next steps

Together, the two Cochrane reviews provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date evidence on HPV vaccination to date, drawing from both large-scale real-world studies and rigorous clinical trials. Evidence shows that HPV vaccination is a safe and highly effective public health measure, capable of preventing cancers that affect hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The findings underscore global recommendations to vaccinate both girls and boys, ideally before the age of 16, to achieve the greatest protection against HPV-related cancers. Protection is strongest when vaccination occurs before sexual debut and exposure to the virus.

However, the authors also note some evidence gaps. Most research has been conducted in high-income countries, meaning more studies are needed in low- and middle-income settings, where cervical cancer is more common and screening programs are lacking; it is in these countries that HPV vaccination will have an even more positive impact. However, to achieve the World Health Organisation’s ambition to eradicate cervical cancer, high rates of HPV vaccination, cervical screening and treatment of pre-cancers detected by screening remain crucial.

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases: a network meta-analysis is available
• Effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes on community rates of HPV-related disease and harms from vaccination is available

In February this year, Oliver (Ollie) Chu, was treated for Hunter syndrome in a clinical study being delivered at Royal 91ֱ�� Children’s Hospital (RMCH) in collaboration with the 91ֱ�� Centre for Genomic Medicine at Saint Mary’s Hospital – both part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) The trial is managed and sponsored by the University of Manchester.

Children with Hunter syndrome, a rare, inherited condition also known as mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II), have an error in a gene, meaning they cannot produce an important enzyme that breaks down complex sugar molecules. Over time these sugars build up in organs and tissues, leading to joint stiffness, hearing loss, breathing and heart problems, developmental delays and cognitive decline, resembling childhood dementia. Hunter syndrome can be life-threatening, with life expectancy typically between 10 and 20 years. Currently the only licensed drug that can help to improve life for children with Hunter syndrome is Elaprase – a weekly enzyme replacement therapy that takes approximately three hours, that children must take for their whole life. Approximately 50 patients in the UK receive Elaprase, which costs around £375,000 a year per patient. The drug can reduce mobility and organ problems but cannot improve mental decline.

Now, several months on from the procedure, Ollie has fully recovered from the transplant, and his parents and the 91ֱ�� researchers are excited by his progress.

The clinical study at RMCH is investigating a one-off gene therapy which involves removing the child’s stem cells, replacing the faulty gene and re-injecting the modified cells into the patient. These stem cells can produce high levels of the missing enzyme and also reach the brain.

Professor Rob Wynn, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist and Director of Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Programme at RMCH and joint clinical lead, said: ““For many years we have performed bone marrow transplant for children with Hunter Syndrome and similar illnesses. However, these are difficult procedures that can only deliver as much enzyme as the donor’s blood naturally has.

“Gene therapy is not only safer and more effective, but it enables us to use the child’s own cells which cuts out the need to find a donor, and means we can produce more enzyme for the patient.

“The principles of using gene therapy of blood cells to treat patients with this disease can be applied to many other conditions which offers exciting prospects for patients and healthcare professionals. Our medicine is becoming safer, and better, and that can only be a good thing!”

Professor Simon Jones Consultant in Paediatric Inherited Metabolic Disease at the 91ֱ�� Centre for Genomic Medicine at Saint Mary’s Hospital,  joint study lead, said: “Since having the gene therapy Ollie is no longer having weekly Elaprase infusions, but instead of seeing levels of the previously missing enzyme dropping we are seeing very high levels in his blood, and this is an extremely encouraging sign that the treatment is working.

Professor Jones, who is also a Medical Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 91ֱ�� Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at RMCH, added: “I have worked in researching treatments for children with rare genetic diseases for over twenty years and I have sadly seen many children lose their lives to these devastating conditions. This is a truly exciting development which could lead the way for treating similar genetic conditions and bring hope to other families.”

Ollie Chu is the first of five young children with Hunter syndrome to participate in this study. The research is jointly funded by the University of Manchester and by LifeArc, a self-funded, not-for-profit medical research organisation, and developed by researchers at MFT and The University of Manchester, working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where patients’ cells are taken to be modified with the missing gene in their specialist laboratories.

Ollie’s story

Ollie was diagnosed with Hunter Syndrome after five-year-old brother, Skyler, was found to have the condition.

Ollie, who lives in California with mum Jingru, dad Ricky, and Skyler travelled to the UK to be part of the research, after tests showed he was still in the early stages of the condition.

Ricky said: “Although it was a big commitment to travel to the UK, of course we want the best for our children, so when this opportunity came up in 91ֱ��, we discussed it as a family. Due to Skyler’s age, he was not eligible to take part in the 91ֱ�� trial and is taking part in a different study in the United States. That has meant splitting up the family, but it was something we were willing to do for Ollie to have the opportunity to be in this trial.

“There are very few times where your child can have a reset on life so if you can give them that chance, then it’s just something you do.

“Ollie is doing great since having the gene therapy. We have seen dramatic improvements, and he continues to grow physically and cognitively. Our hope for Ollie because of this treatment is that he will continue to make his own enzymes and live a normal life without infusions.

“We’re excited for Ollie’s future. Seeing the difference for Ollie pre-and post-transplant has made us believers.

“We will be forever grateful to the entire research team for allowing us to be part of this research. I’ve been a huge advocate of this trial. The medical team is very transparent and provides all the information that they can.

"We think it’s wonderful that there is research being done on rare conditions. Our priority is our children but knowing that this could result in helping other children around the world is very meaningful for us. We hope that one day, a treatment becomes available for all children at all stages of Hunter syndrome.”

Brian Bigger, Honorary Professor at The University of Manchester, academic lead said: “This therapy was developed over the course of 10 years at the University 91ֱ�� and seeing this now tested in patients by the clinical team at MFT has been incredibly rewarding.”

“We developed an improved method of stem cell gene therapy which adds a short tag to the missing enzyme, allowing it to cross the blood-brain-barrier and improve the amount of enzyme delivered to the brain. This helps break down complex sugars that build up in the brain and aims to prevent the devastating dementia-like decline seen in children with severe Hunter disease. Parents have told us that this symptom is the most important factor to improve quality of life for their family.”

• Philanthropic support from individual donors and not-for-profit medical research organisations such as , has been essential in driving this progress forward. Philanthropy helps to bridge critical funding gaps and translate breakthrough science into life-changing therapies. To learn more about the University's fundraising for research, visit: Challenge Accepted.

Meningiomas, which account for around 3,500 new cases in the UK each year, are often discovered by chance during brain scans. While most never cause harm, some eventually require surgery or other treatment. Until now, it has been difficult to know which patients will be affected, leading to years of unnecessary monitoring for some and delayed treatment for others.

Researchers developed the in 2019 based on data from around 400 patients under neurosurgical care at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool. The tool considers the patient’s comorbidities, functional status and imaging characteristics of the tumour, to work out the risk of tumour progression, and need for treatment. The tool has now been tested on more than 1,200 patients from 33 hospitals across 15 countries, with follow-up periods of up to 15 years. The results showed that patients could be reliably grouped into low, medium, or high risk of tumour progression.

Low-risk patients were found to have only a one in twenty-five chance of needing treatment, while the risk was one in four for medium-risk patients and one in two for those in the high-risk group. Most progression was seen within the first five years, while older or frailer patients were found to be very unlikely ever to require treatment.

, study co-lead, former Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool and currently a Neurosurgery Registrar and PhD Fellow, University of Manchester & Salford Royal Hospital said: “This study is an important step forward in personalising care for people with meningiomas. For the first time, we can give patients with an incidental meningioma clear answers about their individual risk, helping avoid unnecessary scans for some, while ensuring that others get timely treatment.”

The findings suggest that high-risk patients may benefit from early intervention, medium-risk patients should continue regular monitoring, and many low-risk patients could be safely discharged with advice on what symptoms to look out for.

91ֱ�� lead, concluded: “It’s important that now we test the IMPACT tool in real-time with patients in clinics, with funding being sought to bring it into routine practice. The ability to offer personalised care will bring not only health benefits to patients but also cost savings to the NHS and wider economic growth.”

• The paper, ‘ was published in Jama Oncology DOI 10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.4821

A report released today (November 20, 2025) by Health Equity North (HEN) reveals that the relationship between health and productivity has become stronger over the last seven years, placing a huge financial burden on the economy and stagnating possible productivity growth.

The scale of the health-related economic inactivity crisis is greater in the North of England, with workers more likely to lose their job due to ill health, and those without educational qualifications facing a ninefold higher risk of losing their job if they become ill.

‘Health for Wealth 2025: Building a Healthier North to boost UK Productivity’ revisits the issues exposed in the landmark 2018 Health for Wealth report and explores how the landscape has changed over the last seven years.

It shows that regional inequalities in health, wages and economic inactivity have deepened since the 2018 report – a trend that began even before the COVID pandemic. This sharp rise in economic inactivity due to ill health, now at a record high, underscores the urgent need to put health at the heart of any strategy for sustainable economic growth.  However, there are some ‘good news stories’ in the North, with productivity growth strong in areas such as Greater 91ֱ��, Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire over the past few years.

In 2018, the Northern Health Science Alliance’s highlighted the link between the North’s poor health and poor productivity for the first time, and revealed that tackling health inequalities between the North and the South could generate an additional £13.2bn per year. Today’s analysis show that this figure has risen to £18.4bn per year.

Findings also show that improving physical and mental health through a variety of policy changes, proactive health programmes and empowering local authorities, could deliver transformative economic benefits - particularly in regions such as the North East, where improving population mental health alone could add £6.6bn to the economy.

The report, authored by HEN academics from Newcastle University, The University of Manchester, Lancaster University and Teesside University, shows that:

• If the health of the North was matched to the rest of the country, it could generate an additional £18.4bn a year - a 13% increase in economic gains found in the previous Health for Wealth report published in 2018 when accounting for inflation.
• People living in the North are two times more likely to lose their job following a spell of ill-health than those in the rest of England.
• In the North, workers with no educational qualifications are nine times less likely to remain employed following a spell of ill health compared with those with at least an A-level qualification, whereas in the rest of England, there is no statistically significant relationship between worsening health and remaining employed by educational attainment.
• £6.6bn could be added to the economy if mental health was improved in the North East.
• Workers in the North who experience ill-health suffer monthly pay losses that are nearly triple the national average – equal to 6.6% vs. 2.3% national average.
• Since 2018, all three northern regions have experienced, on average, more than double rises in economic inactivity due to ill health compared with London - rising by 22% vs. 10% respectively.
• Amongst people with long-term health conditions, the gap in economic inactivity between the North and rest of England has nearly quadrupled since the start of the COVID pandemic – increasing from a 1.1 percentage point difference to 4.2 percentage points (47% to 51.2%).
• The regional economic divide between the North and the South has increased since 2018, with gaps in total economic inactivity growing by 8% and in wages by 5%.
• The relative gap in productivity (as measured by GVA per head) has decreased by 2%, owing to the relatively greater increases in the North, particularly since the pandemic. However, the gap remains large, with 26% lower productivity in the North than in the rest of England in 2023. In particular, Greater 91ֱ�� and some parts of Yorkshire experienced the highest increases in productivity growth over the past two decades, with accelerated improvements since the pandemic. However, other parts of the North – including the majority of the North East – are continuing to be left-behind.
• The new report suggests that unless decisive action is taken, the North-South health and productivity divide will continue to widen, limiting the UK’s ability to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth.

Additional findings include:

Wages and GVA

• Overall, between 2013 and 2022, the average gap in GVA per head was approximately 30% lower in the North (£22,710 vs £29,379) – 36% of the gap can be attributed to the poor health in the North.
• Since 2013, the gap in economic inactivity increased by 8% (from 3.8 to 4.1 percentage points) and the gap in wages rose by 5% (from £54 to £57). The relative gap in productivity has decreased by 2%, with the Northern regions experiencing faster productivity growth by 1% since the pandemic.

Economic inactivity

• Since 2019, economic inactivity rates have been rising ten times faster than the growth of the working-age population. Economic inactivity due to ill-health is now at its highest levels, with poor mental health and musculoskeletal problems being the main cited reasons.
• Economically inactive people in the North are more likely to have mental health problems, to be younger and to live in larger families and more likely to be private renters.
• The economic inactivity rates due to ill-health in North East are more than double compared with the rates in South East (9.5% vs. 4.5%), with the remaining southern regions having similarly low rates around 5%. The North East has the highest rates of economically inactive women at 9.7% and 9.4% for men - compared to 5% and 3.9% respectively in the South East.

Mortality and morbidity

• Between 2013 and 2022, rates of mortality were 16% higher in the North than in the rest of England, with the rates of morbidity being 45% higher.
• Since 2013, the gap in morbidity between the North and the rest of England has increased by 62%, with the gap in mortality rising by 15%.

Health and productivity

• In the North East, potential economic gains from improving population mental health amount to £6.6bn in terms of productivity and household prosperity.
• To reduce the employment gap between the northern regions and the rest of England by 10%, population self-rated health problems in the North need to be reduced by 4.4%.
• The report urges government and business leaders to make health a central component of the UK’s productivity and growth strategy.

The recommendations call for targeted investment in mental health services, preventative programmes, and public health funding across the North of England, alongside reforms to benefits and employment support that promote health and economic participation. Authors also advocate for regionally driven strategies with embedded health targets to tackle inequalities and ensure place-based solutions align with national goals.

Lead report author Dr Julija Simpson, Research Associate at Newcastle University, said: “Since the last Health for Wealth report in 2018, the health divide between the North and the rest of England has not only persisted but deepened. This growing inequality is not inevitable, nor is it the fault of individuals – it’s the result of policy choices. Addressing this gap must be central to the government’s growth and wealth agendas.

“Health and economic performance are deeply intertwined: when communities are healthier, they are more productive, more resilient, and better able to contribute to long-term prosperity. Health policy is economic policy – and investing in the health of people in the North is one of the most effective ways to unlock the country’s full economic potential.”

Professor Clare Bambra, Academic Co-director of Health Equity North and Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, said: “

“While many welfare and employment reforms are designed to reduce long-term benefit dependency and encourage people back into the workforce, these efforts will not work unless they are supported by sustained investment in public health, health care and mental health services. Without addressing the root causes of ill health in the North, we risk pushing people into situations of poverty - worsening their wellbeing and limiting their capacity to work – all while our economy continues to take the hit.

“To genuinely improve economic participation, we need to ensure that people are not only healthy enough to be able to work, but and also healthy enough to thrive in employment. The link between good health and a strong economy is undeniable – and policy must reflect that reality.”

Dr Luke Munford, Academic Co-director of Health Equity North and Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, The University of Manchester, said: “Investing in public health delivers extraordinary value for money. For every £1 spent, society can expect to see a return of around £14 in broader health and socio-economic benefits. That means every pound we invest in preventing illness, improving mental health, and tackling health inequalities pays dividends in higher productivity, stronger local economies, and reduced strain on the NHS.

“The evidence is clear: the government’s approach to health should not be seen as a cost, but an investment. By prioritising prevention and supporting healthier communities, we create the conditions for long-term economic growth and prosperity across the North and the nation as a whole.

“There are things we can learn from Greater 91ֱ��. Since devolution of health and social care, we have seen improvements in life expectancy, and this is now beginning to track through to increases in productivity and economic growth.”

Hannah Davies, Executive Director at Health Equity North, said: “There is a great deal of work being done across local government, central government, and the third sector to tackle the North’s health and productivity challenges – but the scale of the problem means there is still so much more to do.

“Our new analysis makes it clear that health investment is not just a social or moral priority, but an economic necessity. Poor physical and mental health are holding back the potential of millions of people and, in turn, the productivity of the entire UK. If we want a stronger economy, we must start by building a healthier nation. Prioritising mental health, prevention, and place-based support in the North will deliver lasting returns in prosperity and wellbeing.”

The report, Health for Wealth 2025: Building a Healthier North to boost UK Productivity, is available

Previously, little was known about the drivers of post-infection symptoms typically associated with severe viral infections, such as breathlessness and fatigue, but the study sheds light on what exactly might underpin these long-term effects.

“Serious viral infections like influenza and Sars-CoV-2 can cause long-term breathlessness and fatigue, though until now, the biological context to this has puzzled scientists,” said co-author Prof Tracy Hussell from The University of Manchester:

The study, funded by Wellcome and published in the journal Mucosal Immunology, also explains how inflammation may lead to aging in the lungs. 

The researchers found that following severe viral infection, a critical structure in the lung remains damaged, even after the symptoms and virus have both cleared. 

The structure, known as the basement membrane, is a thin supportive layer of extracellular matrix that anchors and separates cells from underlying tissue 

The basement membrane forms a barrier to line airspaces, support cells, and regulate fluid and cell movement. 

For the study, the lungs of mice with influenza virus were analysed by proteomic mass spectrometry, to identify potential protein biomarkers compared to non-infected mice.

The study also used peptide location fingerprinting, a technique developed by Dr Eckersley’s lab, which can identify damage across protein structures. 

They found that basement membrane proteins had reduced abundance and harboured structural damage following recovery from infection. 

That suggests post-viral damage is long-term, and that the membrane does not repair appropriately. The damage appeared patchy when observed histologically and resulted in leaky lungs.

 As similar structural damage was also observed by the scientists in aged lungs of non-infected mice, they propose that long-term, age-related complications may be caused by repeated inflammation.

Dr Alex Eckersley, from the University of Manchester said: “We’re very excited about our findings which reveal a new angle on why some viral infections have a long-term impact on lung health.

“Our study suggests that similar processes occur both when your lungs are exposed to a serious viral infection, and when you age.

“This means repeated viral infection could cause some people’s lungs to age more quickly.”

In many cases, the resolution of inflammation is incomplete, and the lung is thought to accumulate damage as a result over time.

By identifying evidence for this process, the  researchers hope to have found a new area of interest in developing therapeutic targets for treating long-term post-viral symptoms.

He added: “By identifying these persistent basement membrane changes, we provide an entirely novel area to target with new medicines to treat complications arising from viral infection.

“By providing new therapeutic targets, and opportunities to broaden our understanding of how relevant biological structures might be being damaged or struggling to repair, we can better understand, research, and medicate post-viral symptoms.”

• Lung basement membranes are compositionally and structurally altered following resolution of influenza infection is published in . DOI:

Previous research has found the risks of serious conditions like diabetes, renal and liver failure, fractures, and premature death, are particularly raised within the first 12 months of being diagnosed with an eating disorder. 

But new findings, published in the journal ,  highlight that these elevated risks can persist for years, even after the person is thought to have recovered from their eating disorder, with the researchers saying that timely interventions from multiple different health services are needed to improve patient outcomes.

The research team, led by Dr Cathy Morgan from 91ֱ�� with input from Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham OBE from Keele, were funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater 91ֱ�� Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC).

Using the the researchers studied anonymised electronic health records spanning from 1998 to 2018, linked to Hospital Episode Statistics data, and linked death records across England.

Their data covered over 24,000 patients with a diagnosed eating disorder which were each matched for age, sex, and GP practice, with up to 20 others who had not been diagnosed with an eating disorder (493,001 in total). They then tracked the patients’ mental and physical health over 10 years using the data to learn more about their health following initial diagnosis.

Their analysis showed that patients diagnosed with eating disorders were at a much higher risk of poor physical and mental health, and premature death. The greatest risks were within a year of diagnosis, but the researchers found that these risks persisted for years afterwards.

People with eating disorders were six times more likely to develop renal failure and nearly seven times more likely to develop liver disease within the first year of being diagnosed, as well as being at significantly heightened risks of osteoporosis, heart failure, and diabetes.

The risks of poor mental health were also higher within the first 12 months of diagnosis, with rates of depression and self harm being significantly higher during this period, with these heightened risks persisting after five years, albeit lowered.

The risk of death from any cause was also higher within the first 12 months and once again, these risks persisted for up to 10 years afterwards, although at a lower rate.

Dr Cathy Morgan from the University of Manchester, said: “This study highlights the substantial long-term effects of eating disorders. Raising awareness among healthcare providers about the lasting effects of eating disorders and the need for ongoing support in managing current symptoms and recovery is essential.” 

Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham OBE from Keele University, added: “Integration is needed across primary and specialist care – both mental and physical health services including nephrology, cardiology, and endocrinology. This is particularly important at the time of diagnosis of an eating disorder and whilst a person is under specialist mental health services.

“Our work highlights that monitoring a person’s health is vital even when management of the eating disorder has been completed and the person is thought to have recovered. This monitoring should take place in primary care (general practice) – so we highlight the need for education and training of primary care clinicians, but also the need for this work to be commissioned in primary care going forwards.”

• Adverse outcomes in patients with a diagnosis of an eating disorder: primary care cohort study with linked secondary care and mortality records is published in BMJ Medicine and is available .  doi:10.1136/ bmjmed-2025-001438

Their symptoms are investigated less often, they receive less treatment, and have a poorer prognosis according to the study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater 91ֱ�� Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). 

The results of the most comprehensive investigation ever carried out – using huge national datasets - are published today (insert date) in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. 

The study using linked primary care, hospital, and national cancer and death records from England, compared 180,911 individuals with a learning disability to over 3.4 million matched comparators. 

According to the study, people with learning disabilities were about half as likely to be referred for urgent investigation when they had ‘red flag’ symptoms that could be due to cancer. They were more often diagnosed after the disease had spread, when cure was not possible, and were less likely to receive surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic anticancer therapy. 

Life expectancy after cancer diagnosis was significantly shorter, particularly among those with severe learning disability or Down syndrome, with most dying within four years of diagnosis compared with nine years among those without a learning disability. 

The study found that several cancers were more common among people with learning disabilities. Rates of sarcoma were around twice as high, cancers of the central nervous system were three and a half times higher, testicular cancer was twice as high, and uterine cancer was about 70% higher compared with the general population. 

While some cancers, including melanoma, breast and prostate cancer were less common among people with learning disabilities, those affected had up to a fourfold higher risk of death after diagnosis, highlighting possible delays in diagnosis and inequities in access to timely and effective treatment. 

The research team also found that people with learning disabilities were over 70% more likely to develop cancer before the age of 50. This pattern was especially strong for nervous system, uterine, ovarian and digestive tract cancers. Oesophageal cancer in the under 50s, was more than five-fold higher in those with a learning disability. 

Lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy, Clinical Lecturer at The University of Manchester and The Christie said: “We already know that people with a learning disability face poorer health outcomes, but the burden of cancer in this population is poorly understood. 

“That is why this study, the most comprehensive population-based investigation of cancer in people with a learning disability, is so crucial to understand the immense challenges this vulnerable population group face in cancer care. 

“There is an urgent need for effective strategies to improve cancer detection and care”

Principal Investigator Prof Darren Ashcroft from The University of Manchester is Director of the NIHR Greater 91ֱ�� Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC)  

He said: “People with a learning disability frequently encounter barriers to healthcare access, such as communication difficulties and  diagnostic overshadowing, where clinicians might attribute new symptoms to an existing diagnosis instead of investigating other possible causes.

“These contribute to poorer health outcomes in general. On average, adults with a learning disability die 19–23 years earlier and it is widely accepted that 42% of deaths are considered preventable.

“This study highlights critical gaps and persistent uncertainties in cancer care for people with a learning disability that merit further investigation.”

Dr Kennedy added: “We suspect many people with learning disability experience missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis given the reduced likelihood of urgent suspected cancer referral following red-flag symptoms.

“This was probably why more cancers were diagnosed outside the urgent suspected cancer referral pathway, and more frequently at an advanced stage.

“Barriers such as lack of staff training, communication challenges and inflexible appointment systems may also contribute to these disparities.”

Jon Sparkes OBE, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said: “We already know that cancer is the second most common cause of avoidable death amongst people with a learning disability.

“It’s unacceptable that late diagnosis and lack of urgent referral for treatment is costing people with a learning disability years of life.

“Melanoma, breast and prostate cancer are eminently treatable, yet people with a learning disability are four times more likely to die of them even after diagnosis. There’s something deeply wrong when people die for want of proper screening or treatment.

“The NHS must do better, with priority screening at a younger age and urgent referral for people with a learning disability, who we know are at greater risk of certain cancers.”

CASE STUDY:

Annabell Downey, supported by Mencap in Hexham, Northumberland has terminal cancer. She said:

“I’d gone to the doctor countless times with back pain but I found it hard to explain how bad it was. The pain scale didn’t mean anything to me and when I was asked if I could walk about as normal, I struggled to convey that sometimes I’d be fine, other times I’d be curled up in agony.

“And, though I’d had breast pain for some time, I didn’t realise it might be related.

“Someone without a learning disability might volunteer that information, questioning if there was a link – but it didn’t occur to me. No one ever asked if I had pain elsewhere until I was in hospital.

The  paper ‘Cancer diagnoses, referrals, and survival in people with a learning disability in the UK: a population-based, matched cohort study’, published in Lancet European Health is available

Interestingly, the index did not predict COVID-19 mortality or pandemic-related excess deaths - the researchers say this may reflect that some aspects of resilience – such as good transport links, mobility and strong social connectedness – can increase exposure risk during fast-moving infectious disease outbreaks.

The team believes their findings could help shape future public health policy. While deprivation measures like the Index of Multiple Deprivation will remain key tools, resilience-based measures may help councils and national bodies identify communities that need support - not just because of what they lack, but because of the assets they can build upon.

The researchers hope the index will be used alongside deprivation indices to guide investment in social infrastructure, voluntary sector capacity, community spaces and local connectivity.

Led by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator Professor Kevin Munro, the research team surveyed a representative sample of over 2,000 adults in the UK about their willingness to test their own hearing at home and use pre-programmed or self-fit hearing aids.

Almost 9 in every 10 adults surveyed said they would be willing to test their own hearing at home if recommended by the NHS.

The majority also said they would be willing to try a hearing aid that was sent to them by the NHS either ready programmed or which required them to programme it for themselves.  

The current NHS pathway involves GPs making a referral for a face-to-face appointment with an NHS audiologist in a hospital or high street setting. The uptake of hearing care is low and slow and current waiting times are very long.

However, policymakers are encouraging self-monitoring of health, and for health services to make greater use of digital technology as well as provide care closer to home.

The findings are a positive indication that such an approach would be welcomed by at least a proportion of adults.   

A variety of apps and online tests are available for people to assess their hearing at home using their smartphone or tablet, and there are hearing aids that are available without the need to involve a hearing professional. However, these vary in quality, and not all have been properly evaluated.

The findings are published in the International Journal of Audiology.

The study was funded by an NIHR Senior Investigator award to Prof Munro and was supported by the NIHR 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Prof Kevin Munro said: “If evaluated and shown to be successful for adults who prefer this option, DIY ear care has the potential to increase patient choice and shift care closer to home. It will also free up audiologists’ time to spend with adults who most need their help.”

However, Prof Munro cautions that more work is needed before the findings are rolled out into practice: “We have yet to evaluate whether this willingness will translate into reality or whether audiologists would be comfortable with this approach. We would also need to determine what support the NHS should provide to adults who opt to use these new pathways.”

Professor Gabrielle Saunders from The University of Manchester and Hearing Health Co-Theme Lead at the NIHR 91ֱ�� BRC, a co-author of the study said: “The main benefits reported in the survey include convenience, immediacy (not needing to wait for an appointment) and savings for the NHS. However, respondents raised genuine concerns that will need to be addressed including uncertainty about trusting the test results and feeling confident that they did the testing properly in the absence of face-to-face support.” 

Claire Benton, President of the British Academy of Audiology, said:   “The profession is keen to foster a culture of continuous improvement, and these findings are very interesting. It is clear there is a need to provide a variety of solutions to resolve the current pressures. If the benefit to patients is not inferior to current practice, this provides additional options that are potentially sustainable solution for the NHS.”

However, Benton went on to note: “These low-touch digital solutions will not be suitable for everyone. Also, we need to be reassured that we will not miss anyone with ear disease that requires medical attention.”

Professor De wet Swanepoel, editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Audiology said: "Traditional models of hearing care can no longer meet the near-universal demand among older adults. This study highlights that adults themselves recognise the need for more accessible, self-directed models of care — a shift that is both necessary and transformative for healthy ageing.”

According to RNID, 1 in 3 adults in the UK have some sort of hearing disorder, which is a total of over 18 million people. The prevalence increases significantly with age, with over half of people aged 55 or more having hearing loss. The number is projected to rise, with estimates suggesting 14.2 million adults will have hearing loss by 2035.

• The paper: DIY audiology at home: adults are interested in conducting self-administered hearing tests and trying fit-at-home hearing aids is published . The DOI of the paper is: 10.1080/14992027.2025.2576030.T

The study in older animals  showed that the placentas of male but not female offspring had increased cell damage from a biological state called oxidative stress. 

Oxidative stress occurs when harmful molecules called free radicals build up faster than the body can clear them. 

It is associated with a range of pregnancy complications including fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia, both of which increase the risk of stillbirth. 

The study demonstrated reduced weight in both female and male fetuses in older mice, but the placental alterations were sex-specific. 

The scientists are conducting further studies in mice to confirm these findings  and also carrying out a parallel study to see if similar sex differentiated mechanisms exist in human placentas from mothers of advanced maternal age (AMA), defined as age 35 and over. 

The study, published in the journal Reproduction and funded by Tommy’s and the Medical Research Council, also discovered placental mitochondria -  the biological batteries that power cells-  were working at a reduced rate in the placentas of both male and female pups but that there were more of them. 

Mitochondria are a major source of free radicals. Reducing their rate of activity at the same time as increasing their numbers is a way they adapt to prevent further oxidative stress while maintaining the supply of energy needed for cells to work properly.

This could mean that the adaptation in placentas from females was more successful than in placentas from males because oxidative stress was not increased in placentas from females of older mice. 

Although scientists know AMA increases the risk of placental dysfunction leading to  fetal growth restriction and stillbirth, little is known about the mechanisms that cause it.

Lead author Dr Michelles Desforges from the University of Manchester  said: “Some impacts of advanced maternal age appear common to both sexes but this data suggests some may be sex specific.

“Evidence that sex differentiated placental dysfunction occurs in a range of risk groups -  including diabetes or obesity- has been around for some time.

“This, however, is amongst the few to delve into the sex differentiated processes which increase the risks of adverse pregnancy outcome in animals of advanced maternal age.

“In 1980, only around 6% of pregnant women in the UK were aged 35 and over. However this figure has now risen to 25%. This represents a massive societal shift and it is important that we understand the reasons why these pregnancies are more vulnerable to fetal growth restriction and stillbirth.

“But it is important to stress, however, that though advanced maternal age comes with  increased risks for some women, the  majority of mums aged 35 and over have normal pregnancies and healthy babies.”

Principle investigator Dr Mark Dilworth added: “Studies in mice are particularly helpful as they allow us to compare male and female offspring in the same pregnancy. In addition, these studies provide an important basis for future studies intent on developing therapeutic strategies for preventing fetal growth restriction and stillbirth.”

• Sex-specific alterations in placental mitochondria, oxidative damage and apoptosis in mice of advanced maternal age” is available .DOI: 

Researchers at the 91ֱ�� Breast Centre, based at The University of Manchester, found that blocking the effects of the hormone progesterone, using ulipristal acetate, a drug already used on the NHS, may reduce the risk of breast cancer developing in women before the menopause, with a strong family history of the disease.

Progesterone is a hormone that can drive breast cancer development. It promotes the growth of a type of breast cell, that has the potential to turn into breast cancer. It can also influence the environment inside the breast, making it easier for these healthy cells to transform into cancer cells.

Blocking these effects of progesterone could be a new way to stop breast cancer before it starts.

The study, published today in the journal Nature, found that taking ulipristal acetate helped block the growth of breast cells that can turn into cancer, called luminal progenitors. These cells are the starting point for triple negative breast cancer, a more aggressive form of the disease that is more common in younger women and black women. Previous research has shown that the risk of triple negative breast cancer coming back or spreading in the first few years after diagnosis, is higher than in other types of breast cancer.

Between 2016 and 2019, 24 women aged 34-44 with a family history of breast cancer took ulipristal acetate for a 12-week period. During the trial, they underwent breast biopsies, blood tests, and detailed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans before and after treatment.

The researchers were measuring changes in breast tissue to understand if the drug might have a protective effect against breast cancer development.

MRI scans showed that the breast tissue became less dense with treatment, which is important because higher breast density is known to increase risk of breast cancer. The team found that the treatment worked best in women who had high breast density before treatment started.

Researchers also observed dramatic changes in breast tissue.  They found that treatment significantly reduced the number and function of certain collagen proteins that normally help support breast tissue.  Overall, the breast tissue became less stiff, making the environment less favourable for cancers to develop and grow.

One protein in particular – collagen 6 – showed the most noticeable decrease after treatment. Based on their findings, researchers now think that it may directly influence the behaviour of luminal progenitor cells, that can give rise to breast cancer. 

All these changes suggest that the drug alters breast tissue in a way that makes it harder for cancer cells to develop and grow, therefore reducing the risk of breast cancer.

Clinical lead author, Dr Sacha Howell, Clinical senior lecturer at The University of Manchester, Director of Manchester Breast Centre and Consultant Oncologist at The Christie said: “We are profoundly grateful to the women who volunteered for this study. Our research, with them, provides evidence that progesterone plays a critical role in breast cancer development in high-risk individuals. By targeting its action, ulipristal acetate and other anti-progestins show promise as preventive treatments for women at increased risk.

“What makes this study particularly exciting is the combination of clinical imaging and biological analysis, which gives us a powerful tool to understand how prevention therapies work at both the tissue and molecular levels. These results lay important groundwork for larger trials to confirm the potential of anti-progestins in reducing breast cancer risk”.

Laboratory lead author, Dr Bruno Simões, research fellow at The University of Manchester and Principal Investigator at the 91ֱ�� Breast Centre said: “Our team was intrigued by how anti-progestins reshaped the breast tissue environment at the molecular level, reducing the number of tumour-initiating cells. We observed clear reductions in collagen levels and organisation, giving us direct insight into how targeting progesterone signalling can create conditions that make it harder for cancers to develop.”

“Our goal is to understand the biology underlying breast cancer risk factors so we can develop better strategies to reduce the number of women affected by the disease. This study is particularly exciting because it suggests that women with increased breast density, a well-established risk factor, may benefit most from preventive treatment with an anti-progestin drug.”

Co-lead author, Rob Clarke, professor of breast biology at the University of Manchester, Principal Investigator and former Director of the 91ֱ�� Breast Centre said: “The biological research behind the clinical study was a great example of team science, a major collaboration between investigators in 91ֱ��, Cambridge and Toronto coming

together to understand the breast tissue and cellular changes underlying this preventive treatment. The findings reveal biomarkers that could be used to gauge response to therapy and whether it will be effective in preventing breast cancer.”

Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, which funded the research, said: “We desperately need better risk-reducing treatments for women at high risk of breast cancer, that also protect their quality of life. And we need to explore all avenues, including existing drugs with the scope to be repurposed, to achieve this.

“Currently, these women have only two options to reduce their risk - surgery or long-term hormone therapy, both of which have a profound impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing.

“This research into ulipristal acetate is an important step forward, and aligns with our key strategic goal to accelerate the discovery of preventative treatments.  We now need larger, longer-term studies, so we can fully understand the potential of this drug to stop breast cancer developing.”

Grace Burton, 27, from Bromley London, underwent a preventative double mastectomy last year after finding out she was at high risk of breast cancer due to an inherited BRCA1 gene change at the age of 21.

Grace says: “Breast cancer has had a huge impact on my family - both my mum and my aunt were diagnosed, and knowing I was at high risk was always in the back of my mind. Having later gone through preventative surgery myself, I know how heavy and difficult those decisions can feel. That’s why this new research into preventative medication is so exciting, it offers hope for other women who might one day have less invasive options to protect their health.

“For those of us with a strong family history, the possibility of preventing breast cancer before it starts is incredible. It gives me hope that future generations may not have to make the same tough choices and can grow up with more options and less fear around breast cancer.”

Several of the authors were supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

The research is published in Nature and is  available

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09684-7   

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Professor Rosalie David and Dr Roger Forshaw show in their book, published by Liverpool University Press  in paperback this month, how Western medical practice owes a debt of thanks to the Ancient Egyptians. 

Though previous works have highlighted the diseases that affected the Egyptians thousands of years ago, this is the first to be written from the perspective of the ancient equivalent of doctors, patients and nurses. 

According to the authors, the system can be seen as a precursor to the healthcare of today: the equivalent of consultants – with different specialisms-    and GPs treated patients either at home in the community or in something resembling hospitals. 

Nurses cared for patients and midwives -  usually women - were highly respected and according to one account were paid more than the doctors. 

Student medics , who were often male relatives of existing doctors,  were trained in temples. Discoveries of mummies also showed that patients who lived with long term debilitating  illness were presumably cared  for by nurses and support workers during their lives. 

If they needed the ancient equivalent of hospital treatment, patients stayed in small cells attached to a temple -  such as at the temple of Denderah in upper Egypt-  where they would be looked after by priest-doctors. 

The care  was paid for either in kind by the patients themselves-  who donated food or other items to the temple - or some assistance was provided by the State for particular groups -  almost like the state healthcare of today. 

The system was so successful that if you made it past the first 5 years of life, your  life expectancy was similar to that of many British people  in Victorian times-  between 30 and  40. 

What the authors call ‘rational’ treatments were given for problems that could be seen, such  as bandaging for broken bones. There was even a form of palliative care for the terminally ill. 

Balanites oil-   which is extracted from parts of the Desert Date tree  - was often successfully prescribed by community doctors to  treat bilharzia or Schistosomiasis-  a devastating disease caused by parasitic worms. The treatment was still used in modern medicine up to  50 years ago. 

However the less commonly used ‘irrational’ treatments, where it wasn’t possible  to see the origin of the disease such as mental illness- involved the use of spells and magic.

Much of the information about ancient Egyptian healthcare was derived by the researchers from medical papyri discovered  in different locations across Egypt.

The papyri give details on disease, diagnosis, and treatments, including herbal remedies, surgery, and magical incantations.

Only 12 of these medical papyri are known today from over 3,000 years of history: others undoubtedly existed and may in future be discovered during excavations or identified in modern library collections of papyri.

The economically successful New Kingdom (1550 BCE – 1069 BCE)  and the Greco Roman Period  from around the beginning of the common era, were probably the high point for healthcare in ancient Egypt said Professor David, though it probably existed from at least around 3000 BC she added.

The book, called Medicine and Healing Practices in Ancient Egypt, shows how European, Arabic and ancient Greek medicine all  have a direct lineage to healthcare  practice that was common 3000 years ago.

Professor David said: “We’re delighted our book is available in paperback, which means the public, medics and Egyptology buffs will not just enjoy it, but learn about the important contribution of ancient Egyptian healthcare to our systems of today.”

“Though punishments could be quite vicious if you transgressed the legal code, the perception that ancient Egypt was a violent and unpleasant  place is completely wrong.

“They believed in an afterlife where there was no aging, or illness-  but to get there you had to be on the straight and narrow.”

“That might at least partially explain why, for most of the time, it was a well-organised society which cared for its people in a way which far exceeded anything else in the ancient world.”

Images:

• The remains of a schistosome, the causative parasite for the disease Bilharzia, discovered in an Egyptian mummy. Parasite DNA was for the first time identified in this sample
• Sanatorium at Temple of Hathor at Denderah
• Cover of book: Medicine and Healing Practices in Ancient Egypt
• Statue of Sekhmet, lioness-headed goddess of medicine
• Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri where patients received medical treatment

The study by health economists at The University of Manchester and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Greater 91ֱ�� (ARC-GM), is published today in the journal Quality of Life Research.

The authors  also say that people from different ethnic groups with health conditions rated their quality of life differently, even when they reported similar prevalence of actual illness.

The findings bring us closer to confirming  what researchers have explored but where further empirical evidence was still needed .

Based on the data from General Practice Patient Survey in England — including 2.3 million White respondents, 160 thousand Asian, 70 thousand Black, 20 thousand of Mixed or Multiple background, and 60 thousand from Other ethnic groups — the findings have potential implications on the equitable design of health services and the way health outcomes are measured.

Though the survey data used in the study relies on self-reported long term health conditions to capture illness, the measure is thought to be more objective than other studies to date for England. It’s also the largest study to yet tackle differences in self-rating.

Lead author Dr Juan Marcelo Virdis from the University of Manchester said: “Our study found that certain black and Asian ethnic groups could be more likely to downplay different aspects of how health affects their lives.

“This is important because differences between perceived and actual health can affect how you seek healthcare health care and could, for example, delay a clinical consultation.

“But understanding these differences is crucial for designing equitable health services and improving outcomes across diverse populations.”

The researchers based their analysis on EQ-5D-5L, a standardized measurement tool developed by a group of European researchers called EuroQol Group (EQ) to measure health-related quality of life.

5D refers to five self-reported dimensions of health it assesses: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression.

And  the 5L refers to five levels of self-reported severity for each dimension: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems, extreme problems/unable.

They analysed five distinct ethnic groups: White ethnic, mixed background, Asian, Black and Other who reported which  of  15 long term health conditions they had.

In some cases - such as Mobility for the Black and Other ethnic groups or Self-care for the Asian-  the tendency was to choose extreme categories. The study also explored differences within these broader ethnic groups, suggesting that heterogeneity may exist within them as well.

Though the reason why some ethnic groups report differently remain  unclear, some researchers speculate that we answer subjective questions on health by saying what is normal for us, influenced by our background and expectations.

Dr Virdis added: “Our research provides a scenario for further studies using objectively measured health conditions, such as biological risk factors, or objective measures of physical health such as grip strength. In addition, we were not able to investigate the mechanisms at play, so this could be a focus for future qualitative research.”

The paper Differences in rating of health related quality of life on the EQ-5D-5L between ethnic groups is published . DOI: 10.1007/s11136-025-04082-y 

Aurore Hochard, Director at MEC, brought Startup Weekend to the University of Manchester in 2024, shortly after joining the team. Following the huge success of the very first Startup Weekend initiative, it has since become a flagship event at the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, championing entrepreneurship among students across the university. 

This year’s event, organised by Joana Carneiro (Enterprise Innovation Administrator at MEC) and Izzy Paton (Operations Administrator at MEC), brought together industry experts, speakers, and mentors to spark and celebrate entrepreneurship, showcasing both emerging and established talent. 

Across the weekend, participants pitched ideas, formed teams, and developed startup concepts with guidance from experienced mentors and industry leaders, wrapping up the weekend with a live pitch event in front of a panel of expert judges.

The event opened with inspiring talks from Aurore Hochard and Farah Frikha, Founder of Vesta Capsules and MEC alumna, followed by rapid-fire 30-second pitches and team formations. 

Throughout the weekend, participants learned how to identify customer needs, validate business concepts, and apply entrepreneurial thinking to solve real-world problems. 

Saturday focused on turning ideas into viable products and business models, with hands-on workshops including “Building the Startup Team” led by Dr Rob Martin, Lecturer in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at MEC. 

Tom Parson, Founder of Big Echo, led “Blank Page to Big Idea: Unlock Startup Ideas with AI”, a session on using AI to spark creativity and accelerate the ideation process, helping students transform concepts into viable business ideas. 

Jorge Servert, Founder of Sensium, led “Developing the Right Product or Service”, a practical session guiding students to define and build their product or service based on real market needs, while also creating their first business plan using MEC’s startup template. 

On Sunday, teams perfected their business ideas through sessions like “Marketing & Acquiring Customers” with Eleni Chiarapini, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at MEC, and “Personal Branding for Startups” with Coralie Watson, Founder of Theme Socials. 

Lastly, students worked on their pitches in “Pitch Perfect” with Julia Spencer, Acceleration Manager at NatWest Corporate Banking. Julia shared industry experience and insight on what investors are really looking for in a pitch and how to make an idea stand out. 

The weekend wrapped up with final presentations to a judging panel featuring Professor Lee Pugalis (Deputy Director of MEC), Travis Ralph-Donaldson (Innovation Discovery Manager at the University’s Innovation Factory), Stephen Sankson (Regional Director at NatWest Corporate Banking), and Jenny Oliver (CEO and Founder of Biora Nature Tech). 

The event concluded with an awards ceremony recognising the top-performing teams and their innovative ideas:

First place went to Veila, a clothing brand redefining modest fashion, led by Sabrinel Takheroubt (AMBS, Faculty of Humanities) alongside Nishita Chatlani, Yutong Song, Danna Castañeda, and Eleanor Alphonso (all AMBS and Faculty of Humanities students). The team received £3,000 to continue their journey to market, focusing on direct-to-consumer growth and online marketing. 

Second place was awarded to DecoRent, a decoration rental service for short-term stays in 91ֱ��. The team, Stella Zhuoyue Ji Chen (AMBS), Mollie Levitt (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Humanities), Benya Irlam (AMBS), Yaowen (Stephen) Hu (AMBS), and Chaerin (Devon) Son received £2,000 to help expand their mission of bringing cosy, functional spaces to students across the city. 

Highly Commended went to isitUp, a speculative market app for investing in people’s relationships, led by Isaac Batho (School of Engineering).

In total, 20 new business ideas were formed over the weekend, showcasing the entrepreneurial energy of Manchester’s student community and representing students from across all three faculties, Humanities; Science and Engineering; and Biology, Medicine and Health. 

Throughout the weekend, participants were supported by a dedicated group of mentors offering one-to-one advice and feedback, including Oladabola Babalola (Babz), Fernando Torres, Harry Panter, Sergio Gutierrez, Luke Marden, Jonghun Lee, Rick Watson, Ramin Esmaeilzadeh, Huw James, and Leigh Wharton. 

About the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre:  

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) is the University of Manchester’s focal point for enterprise and entrepreneurship teaching, learning, and startup support. MEC helps students, researchers, and alumni turn ideas into real-world impact through workshops, mentorship, and venture programmes.  

Learn more at:  

This list coincides with the publication of the Home Office’s report on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain in 2024. 

The ten listed organisations were responsible for 1,379,399 procedures, 54% (more than half) of the 2,637,578 procedures carried out on animals for scientific research in Great Britain in 2024*. Of these 1,379,399 procedures, more than 99% were carried out on mice, fish, rats, and birds and 82% were classified as causing pain equivalent to, or less than, an injection. 

The ten organisations are listed below alongside the total number of procedures they carried out in 2024. Each organisation’s name links to its animal research webpage, which includes more detailed statistics. Case studies explaining how animal research has been used in recent medical research are also provided in the Notes to Editors section. This is the tenth consecutive year that organisations have come together to publicise their collective statistics and examples of their research.

Seventy-two organisations have proactively published their 2024 animal research statistics

UAR has also produced a list (see appendix) of 72 organisations in the UK that have publicly shared their 2024 animal research statistics. This includes organisations that carry out or fund animal research.

All organisations are committed to the ethical framework called the ‘3Rs’ of replacement, reduction and refinement. This means avoiding or replacing the use of animals where possible, minimising the number of animals used per experiment and optimising the experience of the animals to improve animal welfare. However, as institutions expand and conduct more research, the total number of animals used can rise even if fewer animals are used per study. 

All organisations listed are signatories to the , which commits them to being more open about the use of animals in scientific, medical and veterinary research in the UK. More than 130 organisations have signed the Concordat, including UK universities, medical research charities, research funders, learned societies and commercial research organisations.

Wendy Jarrett, Chief Executive of Understanding Animal Research, which developed the Concordat on Openness, said: “Animal research remains a small but vital part of the quest for new medicines, vaccines and treatments for humans and animals. Alternative methods are increasingly being phased in, but, until we have sufficient reliable alternatives available, it is important that organisations that use animals in research maintain the public’s trust in them. By providing this level of information about the numbers of animals used, and the experience of those animals, as well as details of the medical breakthroughs that derive from this research, these Concordat signatories are helping the public to make up their own minds about how they feel about the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain.” 

Dr. Maria Kamper, Director of the Biological Services Facility at The University of Manchester, said:

"Scientific research involving animals remains essential in advancing our understanding of health and disease, and is fundamental to developing new medicines and medical technologies.

"At our institution, we prioritize transparency in animal research alongside a culture of exceptional care among our staff. Our approach is founded on collaboration and superior animal husbandry standards. We are dedicated to cultivating a sustainable environment where animal welfare, staff wellbeing, scientific excellence, and open communication with both stakeholders and the public are our highest priorities.

“This dedication aligns with the University of Manchester's broader mission to enhance education, knowledge, and wisdom for society's benefit.”

Case study:

Clotbuster drug is new hope for stroke treatment

A new clotbusting drug tested on mice has been shown by University of Manchester scientists to be significantly better at treating ischemic stroke than existing therapies.

The compound, developed by the scientists and known as caADAMTS13, could be a breakthrough for patients who have brain blood clots with an overabundance of platelets- the tiny cell fragments that help form clots and are often not treatable by existing therapies.

91ֱ��’s Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno celebrated when she heard the Government had decided of the 2014 Children Act, which said involvement of both parents would improve their children’s welfare, creating unsafe contact arrangements 

The decision follows years of advocacy and research and acknowledges the devastating impact the presumption had on victims:  the mothers and their children.

 Further changes put forward will also automatically restrict parents convicted of rape resulting in the birth of a child and for those convicted of serious sexual offences against any child—not just their own- from having access to children. 

And parents convicted of abuse can no longer make decisions about a child’s schooling, medical care, or travel, removing the burden on survivors to apply through the family courts to provide immediate protection post-sentencing. 

Dr Dalgarno is also the Director and Founder of a collective of multidisciplinary professionals working in health, human rights, law, finance, social care and domestic abuse researchers. 

Her research  highlighted the urgent need for systemic reform, and included a study of the shocking impact of family courts on women’s health.

Another study, reported in the , revealed how nine dads accused of child sex abuse won parental access.

She said: “We are overwhelmed with the extraordinary news that the presumption of parental involvement is to be revoked.

“This marks a historic and long-awaited moment of justice for victims of domestic abuse across the country.

“We would like to send our deepest gratitude to the many researchers and professionals - and the wider academic and survivor communities - whose tireless efforts have illuminated the harms and helped build the case for reform.”

“Led by Claire Throssell, who turned unimaginable personal tragedy—the loss of her sons Jack and Paul—into powerful advocacy that has shaped national policy.”

She added: “I also pay tribute to SHERA founder members, especially Natalie Page of The Court Said, Survivor Family Network, and Eight Street LLP, who have dedicated over a decade of their lives to this cause.

“The Victims and Courts Bill amendments follow a long-standing campaign led by Natalie Fleet MP, Baroness Harman, and Jess Asato MP.

“And we also recognise the unwavering commitment of Dr Adrienne Barnett of Brunel University and Dr Charlotte Proudman of Right to Equality, whose legal and academic leadership has been instrumental.

“Above all, we thank the victim-survivors who have shared their stories, fought for justice, and dedicated their lives to this cause. There is much more work to be done, but this victory should be celebrated and belongs to you.”

Dr Dalgarno also thanked Professor Arpana Verma, Alex Davies-Jones MP, Josh Barbarinde MP, Dr Marie Tidball MP,  Josh Fenton-Glynn MP, Alison Hume MP and Jess Phillips MP, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, the London Victims’ Commissioner, Women’s Aid, Profs Birchall, Hester, Kelly and Choudhry, CWA, Kaleidoscopic, PEEPSA, Rights of Women, FiLia Hague Mothers and all those across the VAWG sector who have long advocated for these changes.

And now an upgraded version of the programme called Thumos,  involving small group workshops and a follow-up 1:1 phone or video call with the workshop facilitator afterwards, who is a psychological therapist, is being  trailed. 

The programme aims to equip medical students  with psychological strategies which some people find helpful. 

As the study is a trial, 50% of participants will be allocated to receive the intervention, 50% will not receive the intervention, but all participants can continue to access all other support services as usual. 

All participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and will be reimbursed for their time in completing follow up questionnaires (those which come after the first set/the baseline measurement). 

The 115 students, from medical schools across the UK, completed the original Reboot  coaching programme as part of a study to assess whether it would improve their psychological resilience, depression, burnout and confidence in their ability to cope with stressful work-related events. 

Before, during and after the coaching, the students were assessed in each of these areas.  found that taking part in Reboot was linked with significant improvements in all areas, with fewer students experiencing depression symptoms after they had completed the coaching. 

It was originally designed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Judith Johnson, formerly from the University of Leeds but now from The University of Manchester. 

Dr Johnson adapted the programme to fit the needs of medical students. Globally, one in two report high burnout, while one in three experience elevated depression. 

She said: “Until now, most evaluations of supportive interventions for medical students have focused on generic interventions such as mindfulness, stress management training and yoga. These lack relevance for medical students and professionals and there is no clear evidence for such interventions improving depression or burnout among this group. 

“Poor mental health in medical students is a significant problem globally and there is evidence that a significant proportion of medical students intend to leave the profession as soon as they qualify.

“There is also a workforce crisis, with projections indicating a global shortage of around 10 million healthcare professionals by 2030. Anything which can help retain healthcare professionals in their professions is sorely needed. 

“We found reboot supported medical students with work-related stressors, normalising the anxiety which is inherent to training, providing peer-support and also helping medical students develop skills and solutions for the challenges they face and will continue to face as qualified doctors. 

• If you are a medical student in a year involving clinical placements, such as Y4 or Y5 you are eligible to take part in a new study evaluating a supportive programme designed to help students cope with the challenges placements can present. To express interest visit
• For more information, email ThumosTrial@manchester.ac.uk or the Principal Investigator Dr Judith Johnson,Judith.johnson@manchester.ac.uk

The report models the potential effectiveness of the Government’s ‘Getting Britain Working’ programmes, showing these savings could be made by the end of this Parliament in 2029 if just 5% of out-of-work people in receipt of Universal Credit returned to work.

The report estimates that:

• Getting 5% of unemployed under-25s back into work would save £903 million.
• Getting 5% of under-25s workless due to sickness or disability back into work would save £631 million.
• Getting 5% of unemployed over-25s back into work would save £6.67 billion.
• Getting 5% of over-25s workless due to sickness or disability back into work would save £11.9 billion.

The 5% estimate is based on what happened with the similar New Deal initiatives that happened in the UK in the 2000s. Savings would be made in the form of both reduced benefits spending and increases in tax and national insurance revenue.

The costs to Government of assisting this number of people back into, and helping them stay in, employment could be between £1.5 to £1.9 billion. So that within just two years, the Government could save almost £10bn, meaning every £1 invested in employment support programmes could return between £5.21 and £6.63.

Currently, more than five million people in the UK are out of work and in receipt of Universal Credit - including almost one million people aged 18-24 years who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs). 1 in 5 of these young people receive health-related benefits largely for mental health conditions. Ill-health related economic inactivity accounts for over three million claims and is particularly concentrated in the most deprived and deindustrialised areas. As of May 2025, the average household on Universal Credit received £961.63 per month in England.

The report was commissioned and funded by the Work and Pensions Select Committee and produced by Health Equity North with academics from Newcastle University, The University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, and University of Glasgow.

The UK government has introduced several return-to-work initiatives over the last 12 months as part of its desire to ‘Get Britain Working’. This includes:

• Creating a new Jobs and Careers Service by merging Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service
• Establishing eight “Trailblazer” areas that receive funding to test local partnerships between the NHS, councils, colleges, and employers
• A Connect to Work programme providing rapid job-matching, training, and in-work coaching
• Embedding employment advisers in mental health and musculoskeletal services, with expanded Individual Placement and Support provision.
• Launching a new Primary Care pilot will enable GPs to directly refer patients for employment support.
• Launching proposals for the Employment Rights Bill and the NHS 10-Year Plan’s, which focus on prevention will further reduce ill health among working-age people.
• The Youth Guarantee for NEETS, which ensures access to apprenticeships, training, education, and tailored job support - including paid work placements for those out of work for more than 18 months.

These schemes replicate previous New Labour successes of the ‘New Deal’ return to work programmes which, between 1997 and 2010, saw a spike in employment across all age groups. This saved up to £2,500 per New Deal participant, with 46% gaining a job and 27% sustaining employment that lasted six months or more.

The report has been submitted as evidence to the Government’s Work and Pensions Select Committee, which looks into the policies and spending of the DWP, including benefits for people both in and out of work.

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said: : “After more than a decade of austerity-driven policies - further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic - levels of ill health and health inequalities have deteriorated across the UK, but particularly especially in deprived areas. As a result, the country now faces significantly higher rates of economic inactivity due to ill health compared with similar economies such as Germany, Sweden, and France. This poses a major economic challenge, contributing to stagnant growth, widening productivity gaps, and increasing poverty and health inequalities. In the past we have seen the value of supportive welfare-to-work programmes, such as the New Deal for Disabled People and New Deal for Young People, which addressed the needs of the whole person in helping them to get into work. It’s imperative that these Government ‘Trailblazer’ schemes are ramped up – if we can get even a small proportion of the out-of-work population working again, we will see extraordinary gains, not only fiscally, but for these individuals, their families and across communities, workplaces, and public services alike.”

Professor Clare Bambra, Academic Co-director of Health Equity North and Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, said: “Constituencies such as East Marsh and Port, Grimsby, Central Easterhouse, Glasgow and Birkenhead Central have around 30% of the working-age population receiving ill health-related welfare benefits. In these areas, life expectancy is 12 years less than the national average. This stark inequality reflects the deep connections between health, work, and place - where decades of industrial decline and underinvestment have left communities struggling with poor health, limited opportunities, and persistent economic disadvantage.

“By embedding employment support within health services and targeting investment where ill health and unemployment overlap, we have a real opportunity to break this cycle. Helping even a small proportion of people in these areas back into good, secure work could have transformative effects - not just for the government and local economies, but for people’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.”

Dr Luke Munford, Academic Co-director of Health Equity North and Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at The University of Manchester, said: “When people are supported to stay healthy, skilled, and connected to good jobs, everyone benefits – be it individuals, families, businesses or the economy as a whole. This report highlights the value of investing in people’s health and employability. Even modest improvements in getting people back into the workplace could deliver billions in savings by the end of the decade. These findings show that the Government’s efforts to integrate and embed health and employment can be a huge step towards the economic recovery of the UK.”

Dr Andy Baxter, Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, said: “Employment is one of the strongest determinants of health. When people are in good, secure work, they’re less likely to experience long-term illness, more likely to engage with preventive healthcare, and more connected to their communities. Reducing economic inactivity through health-focused employment programmes provides stability, purpose, and the foundation for healthier, fairer futures. Effective back-to-work schemes are crucial in rebuilding a Britain that is healthy and prosperous, and our research shows that the return on investment potential is huge.”

Hannah Davies, Executive Director of Health Equity North, said: “We’ve seen in the past that well-designed back-to-work schemes can transform lives and deliver real results for both people and the economy. But this time, it needs to be right from the very start - ensuring programmes are properly funded, evidence-based, and tailored to the needs of local communities. If the Government can combine effective employment support with investment in health, skills, and opportunity, they have a genuine chance to break the cycle of long-term unemployment and ill health once and for all.”

Read the full analysis ‘Estimating the savings and financial benefits to the UK government of return-to-work for people in receipt of Universal Credit’ here:

11 student and graduate founders from across The University of Manchester gave compelling 4-minute pitches to an audience of investors, local ecosystem partners, stakeholders, and peers – demonstrating innovative solutions to real problems across diverse sectors. 

They each developed their products and services on the 91ֱ�� Venture Builder – MEC's 12-week programme of structured support to help entrepreneurs test and validate their idea, build an MVP and gain real traction on their journey to market-readiness. 

Mohamed Abbas (Venture Builder Manager, MEC) emphasised the importance of collaboration between organisations and individuals in supporting emerging young founders:

After the pitches, startups and guests gathered for the showcase and networking – an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and build connections. 

The ventures showcased were: 

• SpinOr – Compact superconducting quantum computers.
• PeerMatch – Building the platform where humanity's next breakthrough begins.
• AquaMinds – AI-powered early warning system for fouling in water treatment plants.
• Vesta Capsules – Offering safe sleep anytime, anywhere through stackable, weatherproof, and modular pods inspired by Japanese capsule hotels.
• ARDHANN – AI-powered next-gen composite materials for Energy, Space and Defence.
• Gynomics – Harnessing computational biology and machine learning to drive predictive and preventative care in women's reproductive health.
• Ecotrace – Plug-and-play circularity SaaS to extend the lifecycle of consumer goods, improve customer experiences, and help manufacturers meet tightening regulations.   
• Synkit – Wellness app helping employers support female staff through cycle-synced lifestyle.
• Waddle – Spontaneous small-group meetups for students seeking real-world connection.
• UniSights – Platform for Latin American schools to connect students with UK universities.
• TerraIQ – AI-powered farm optimisation platform for smallholder farms to unlock sustainability-linked revenue. 

We would like to congratulate all the startups who participated in the Demo Day for reaching this key milestone and we are excited to follow their growth and continued success. 

MEC is the University’s focal point for enterprise and entrepreneurship, offering opportunities for all current students, recent graduates and staff. Our vision is to create an ecosystem that nurtures innovators and fosters startups, driving global impact. 

You can find out more on our website . If you are interested in supporting our entrepreneurs with your expertise or investment, please get in touch with our team.

The knowledge could reduce the risk of severe bowel complications from radiotherapy, known as rectal toxicity, heralding a more personalised approach to prostate cancer treatment. 

The study, funded by Prostate Cancer UK, is published in Clinical Cancer Research today.(13/10/25). 

The study was led by PhD researcher Artemis Bouzaki from The University of Manchester, who is also an honorary researcher at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. 

Her approach is the first study to combine genetic data with detailed spatial maps of where radiation is delivered in the rectum. 

Though scientists have already identified the lower posterior of the rectum as significant for rectal toxicities after prostate cancer radiotherapy, the study is the first to incorporate genetic information into the framework. 

“Rectal toxicity is a significant concern for patients receiving radiotherapy for prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men and  now the most common cancer in England,” she said.

“Although dose guidelines limit the overall rate of rectal toxicity to around 10%, bowel function nevertheless often deteriorates over the course of treatment and beyond.

“Some patients experience severe, persistent complications, such as incontinence, or rectal bleeding, permanently affecting their quality of life.”

The scientists analysed data from 1,293 prostate cancer patients as part of the international REQUITE study, which collected radiotherapy outcomes from 17 hospitals in Europe and the USA between 2014 and 2016.

For each of three genetic variants linked to increased radiation sensitivity, patients were grouped based on whether they carried the variant.

They were analysed alongside dose maps over the surface of the rectum - based on a methodology developed by the team in their earlier work- which showed the risk regions were consistently in the lower posterior rectum.

 The scientists used a special way of analysing 3D image data by looking at it in tiny volume units called voxels, the 3D equivalent of a pixel.

Instead of just measuring overall dose averages in a region, Voxel Based Analysis analyses the data voxel by voxel across the entire image. This allows smaller regions of organs to be identified, where more radiation dose is linked to different treatment side-effects.

Co-author and supervisor of the study, Dr Alan McWilliam from the University of Manchester added: “Our work has revealed that patients with certain genetic variants may benefit from lower radiation doses in those specific parts of the rectum, which could make a significant difference to their recovery.

“However, these findings are preliminary, and clinical studies will be necessary to confirm their safety and effectiveness before any changes are made to standard treatment.”

One reason why the lower part of the rectum may be particularly sensitive is that the higher and lower parts of rectum have anatomical and functional differences which could influence their response to radiation.

The differences play a key role in inflammation and immune response and are likely to be affected by different genetic variants, including the ones analysed by the researchers.

Dr Hayley Luxton, Head of Research Impact and Engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “No two men’s prostate cancers will be the same, and different men will opt for different treatment. We know that radiotherapy is an extremely effective way to treat men with prostate cancer. However, it can have life changing side effects for patients.

“There are two ways to limit the side effects caused by radiotherapy – either through adjusting dosage to account for genetics or by reducing the dose to certain areas of the body.

“For the first time, thanks to Prostate Cancer UK’s funding alongside Movember, the team in 91ֱ�� have combined both methods, and can now fine-tune the delivery of radiotherapy based on a man’s genetics.

“The ability to personalise treatment in this way is exactly the direction we want prostate cancer care to head in. This study helps bring us that much closer to making sure the right men get the right treatment, at the right time.”

The paper Integration of dose surface maps and genetic data identifies the lower posterior rectum as a key region for toxicity after prostate cancer radiotherapy, DOI: xxxxxxxxxxxx is available

The study, published in , funded by Wellcome and the Royal Society, definitively confirm the mother’s role as central to the emotional wellbeing of the family unit.

Though other researchers have focused on isolated relationships between mother and child, this is the first study of the role that both partners may play in family mental health, both concurrently and over time.

The researchers produced a series of maps - called networks - depicting the way symptoms of anxiety and depression in parents and their children up the age of 16 connect with each other over time.

They based the analysis on data from 3,757 families from the UK Household Longitudinal 91ֱ�� between 2009 to 2022.

Additional cross-sectional network maps of 8,795 families captured independent associations between family members’ mental health.

While fathers’ emotional state was linked to mothers’ mental health in the cross-sectional analysis, they observed an absence of associations with their children.

However, they reported that fathers’ emotional symptoms may influence children’s well-being indirectly, by affecting maternal mental health.

The longitudinal maps also identified how a mother’s feelings of being overwhelmed affected the child’s emotional state—especially worry, and that children’s feeling of worry cycled back, further affecting her own emotional health.

The influence of maternal emotional health on their children waned as they got older, reflecting how adolescents transfer their primary attachment from their parents to others.

Lead author Dr Yushi Bai from The University of Manchester said: “We do know that children’s mental health is formed by, and within, their family through shared genes, nurturing behaviours of caregivers, and sibling dynamics.

“Our study identified mothers, not fathers, as central to the emotional wellbeing of the family unit.

“We suspect that this can be explained by traditional division of parenting roles, where societal expectations often position mothers as the primary caregivers and organisers within families.

“Mothers are typically more involved in child-rearing and spend considerably more time with their children than do fathers, which means they are more likely to influence children’s lives and development.

“Greater exposure to maternal care might also lead children to copy their mother’s coping mechanisms and behaviours.”

Co-author Dr Matthias Pierce from The University of Manchester said: “Emotional disorders in young people are not only increasingly prevalent, but also present at early ages, highlighting the need for early intervention and prevention.

“Given the family’s central role in shaping and sustaining mental health, interventions and policies should consider how the family mental health ecosystem operates.

“This study shows the potential value of interventions that aim to support mothers and reduce maternal anxiety, which may have the greatest impact on improving family dynamics and reduce the risk of poor mental health in children.

“We also suggest that the link between fathers’ and mothers’ mental health presents a further potential avenue for alleviating maternal stress.”

• The paper Quantifying cross-sectional and longitudinal associations in mental health symptoms within families: network models applied to UK cohort data  published in MBJ Open is published

• doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104829

The high-tech hearing tests, they say, can efficiently understand human speech from the comfort of your own home, rather than at a hospital clinic, by using AI to screen out background noise.

The researchers developed and tested an AI-powered version of the Digits-in-Noise (DIN) test that combines text-to-speech (TTS) and automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies.

The result was a fully automated, self-administered hearing test that can be performed without clinical supervision in 10 minutes.

The study, funded by a Medical Research Council’s Doctoral Training Partnership grant, could revolutionise the way hearing tests are carried out and is published today  in the journal Trends in Hearing.

Lead author Mohsen Fatehifar from The University of Manchester said: “Having tested this technology, we are confident that with the help of AI it is entirely possible to automate a hearing test on a computer or smart phone so it can be done from the comfort of your own home.

“Though we still need more extensive trials and a user-friendly interface, this technology could potentially make a huge difference to patients.

“Specialised equipment in the clinic and the specially trained staff who are needed to use it are not always available to patients who need quick assessment.

“Additionally, people are slow to seek help when experiencing hearing difficulties: there is an estimated delay of 8.9 years between the time hearing aids are needed to the time of their adoption.

“That is why we are excited about the ability of this system to incorporate machine learning into the test procedure to make it less dependent on human supervisors.”

Speech-in-noise tests are commonly used to detect hearing problems by assessing how well someone can understand spoken speech over background noise.

Traditional tests typically rely on pre-recorded human speech and require a clinician to score the responses.

However, the AI-powered version replaces both with computer generated speech and automatic speech recognition, allowing the test to run entirely on its own.

In a group of 31 adults, some with normal hearing and with hearing loss, the AI-powered test was evaluated against two conventional DIN tests.

The researchers assessed both reliability - how consistent results were across multiple runs and validity - how closely results matched a reference test.

Results showed that the AI-powered test gave virtually the same results as the conventional DIN tests.

While there was slightly more variability in some cases - especially in people with a strong accent- the overall reliability and accuracy were the same, demonstrating the addition of AI did not negatively impact test performance.

And by using larger ASR systems, the researchers say the higher accuracy would make the system compatible with stronger accents.

Co-authors Professor Kevin Munro and Michael Stone are from The University of Manchester and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre.

Professor Munro said: “This  study highlights how AI can make hearing tests both reliable and user-friendly, particularly for individuals who may find traditional formats—such as keyboards or touchscreens—challenging to use.

“It also marks an important step toward more personalised and accessible hearing assessments that people can complete independently at home.

“The test software will be freely available, providing a foundation for future developments using more advanced speech technologies.”

Professor Stone said: “This research highlights the potential for well-crafted and tested AI to modernise hearing care.

“Our team plans to explore extending this technology to more complex speech tests in future studies.”

Using sunbeds causes melanoma and other skin cancers, particularly among young people, yet existing sunbed legislation is ineffective and there is little evidence that stricter rules would help protect the most vulnerable, say Professor Paul Lorigan and colleagues. 

Indoor tanning is experiencing a boom in popularity, particularly among Gen Z (born 1997-2012), with social media promoting sunbeds as integral to wellness, they explain. For example, a 2024 survey of 2,003 people in the UK by Melanoma Focus found that 43% of respondents aged 18-25 used sunbeds, half of them at least weekly, with many unaware of the associated dangers. 

And despite a ban on under 18s using sunbeds in England and Wales in 2011, a 2025 survey by Melanoma Focus of 100 UK 16-17 year olds found that 34% were still using sunbeds. 

Neither the number nor location of sunbed outlets in the UK are monitored, point out the authors. Data from websites and social media in January 2024 identified 4,231 sunbed outlets in England and 232 in Wales, with density per 100,000 population highest in north west and north east England and in the most deprived areas. 

The distribution of sunbed outlets also correlates with melanoma rates in young people, with the highest rates in north England, they add. Over 2,600 new diagnoses were recorded annually in 25-49 year olds in England during 2018-20 and 146 deaths, with two thirds of cases in women. 

Regulation has also failed to prevent young people’s use of sunbeds in other countries, they note. For example, the percentage of under 18s using sunbeds in the Republic of Ireland has barely changed since stricter regulation in 2014, while Iceland’s 15-17 year olds are now the main users of sunbeds despite a ban for under 18s in 2011. 

The current situation in the UK is “a clear example of an under-regulated industry aggressively marketing a harmful product to a vulnerable population,” they write. “An immediate outright ban on commercial sunbeds alongside public education offers the most cost effective solution to reduce skin cancer, save lives, and ease the burden on the NHS.” 

To counter the economic impact of banning sunbeds on providers and communities, they suggest use of a buy-back scheme “to mitigate industry pushback and the potential effect on livelihoods.” 

They conclude: “The UK government has pledged to prioritise prevention and to reduce health inequalities. Commercial sunbeds target those who are most disadvantaged and susceptible to harm.” 

“Enhanced efforts to encourage sun safe behaviours are critically needed but will likely take a generation to have an effect. A ban on commercial sunbeds is the first step in this process. It would send a clear message and have an immediate effect on skin cancer.”

• Analysis: Commercial sunbeds should be banned in the UK  is published in the BMJ doi: 10.1136/bmj-2025-085414 and is available

Current treatments for asthma largely involve controlling the inflammation of lung tissue using steroid inhalers. However, 4 people die every day in the UK¹ from asthma related complications. With funding from the Medical Research Foundation and Asthma UK, a team of researchers from the University of Aberdeen and the University of Manchester have investigated the scarring that occurs in lung tissue as a result of asthma and have been able to reverse these changes in animal models.

Although still in the early stages of development, this discovery paves the way for a new way to treat not only asthma, but many different diseases in which similar structural changes in tissues occur. Such diseases include conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver and account for approximately 40% of deaths worldwide.

Asthma affects more than 7 million people in the UK and severe asthma can have a hugely detrimental impact on an individual’s quality of life. Even when treated, asthma can be fatal and the most recent data shows it contributed to 1,465 deaths in the UK in 2022¹ – this is despite the availability of new treatments which aim to dampen down inflammation in the lungs.

However, as well as inflammation, asthma also results in what has previously been considered to be irreversible structural lung changes. These changes include making the lungs stiffer and more scarred through increases in things like ‘extracellular matrix collagens.’

Using animal models that share features of severe asthma in people, the researchers found that preventing inflammation alone is not enough to reverse this tissue scarring. Instead, they found that blocking the action of specific protein molecules strongly associated with inflammation and tissue damage, ‘remarkably reversed’ scarring in the lungs. 

Dr Tara Sutherland, Lecturer of Immunology, who led the research at the University of Aberdeen, alongside collaborators at the University of Manchester, explains: “Drugs that inhibit inflammation in asthma are crucial for managing the disease. However, these drugs may not always be enough to prevent and reverse lung damage found in severe asthma.

“Our findings show that we also need to consider that structural lung changes occur in severe asthma and that these changes may occur independently of inflammatory pathways.

“A better understanding of these structural changes and their consequences for lung health could lead to development of new therapies that benefit people particularly with severe asthma and could potentially be used alongside drugs that stop inflammation.

“Although a first step in a long process, our study suggests avenues for new treatments that may have the potential to prevent disease progression and even reverse tissue scarring in asthma and many other diseases where fibrosis due to disorganised matrix formation is suggested to account for approximately 40% of worldwide mortality.”

James Parkinson, Research Associate from the division of Immunology and Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester who collaborated on the project added: “This work adds a new layer to our understanding of how asthma develops. It also reinforces the importance of considering all aspects of airway remodelling when evaluating future potential therapies.”

, CEO of the , said: “Asthma affects millions of people in the UK, including 1.1 million children, yet despite current treatments, too many people still die from the condition every day. Severe uncontrolled asthma can cause lasting damage to the lungs and drastically reduce quality of life. This research is a crucial step forward – showing how we might not only prevent that damage, but even reverse it, opening the door to treatments that could transform lives.

“By supporting studies like this, the Medical Research Foundation aims to generate the evidence needed to change how asthma is treated and ultimately improve outcomes for people living with the condition.”

Dr Ellen Forty, Research Networks and Partnerships Manager at Asthma + Lung UK added:

“Asthma + Lung UK is pleased to have funded this exciting research which has helped to tease apart some of the ways that damage to lung tissue occurs in severe asthma, showing potential that some aspects of the damage could actually be reversed in mice. Now we need to invest in the next stages of this research to better understand this newly discovered process, and whether it works the same way in humans.

“This study offers hope for a new avenue for future treatments for the 7.2 million people in the UK living with asthma, that could supplement existing medicines. It could also have benefits for those with other lung conditions with similar causes of damage. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.”

This research was funded by the Medical Research Foundation and the Asthma and Lung UK Fellowship with support from Medical Research Council and Wellcome.

1: 

“However, if we want to create high streets that truly support healthier, fairer communities, we must also invest in bringing back vital amenities like libraries and community hubs - regulating unhealthy outlets is important, but we also need to create positive alternatives that give people better choices. The Prime Minister’s announcement is progress, but now we need some real ambition."

This success highlights the importance of academic research in tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges. As the government takes steps to empower local authorities, the researchers will continue to work with policymakers, communities and partners across the UK to ensure that high streets can once again thrive as healthy, inclusive spaces.

The report calls for urgent reforms, including:

Faster approvals – cutting the red tape that slows NHS trial delivery.
Flexible design – letting participants choose between home visits, clinic appointments or online check-ins.
Specialist centres – building dedicated hubs for mental health trials inside major NHS Trusts.
Smarter promotion – using social media campaigns and testimonials to boost awareness and trust.

Despite the surge of private providers, the NHS still has key advantages. It can draw on huge, reliable patient datasets and long-standing doctor-patient relationships that private firms cannot match. This helps ensure trials include a diverse mix of people – and prevents the problem of “professional patients,” which industry leaders say can account for up to 30% of participants in US depression trials.

The study was supported by the UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Established in 1945, COEH is the UK’s oldest and one of the world's earliest centres for occupational health research and education. Its foundation lies in 91ֱ��'s industrial history, particularly the cotton industry, with early studies addressing respiratory diseases and lead exposure. 

The annual honours , the first Professor of Occupational Medicine (1945–1964). The Centre’s subsequent leaders have each contributed to its growth and enduring reputation: Tommy Scott focussed on research on bladder cancer and hearing loss; Tim Lee broadened the scope to areas such as occupational asthma and lead poisoning, and introduced distance learning; Nicola Cherry expanded the department further with research into neurotoxicity and Gulf War Syndrome, launching the Occupational Disease Ascertainment Network (ODIN) network; and Raymond Agius strengthened environmental health research and online education, securing long term funding for the future. 

Current lead, Professor Martie van Tongeren, has transformed the Centre into an interdisciplinary centre offering innovative undergraduate and postgraduate training, attracting students from around the world. Working in collaboration with and the , COEH’s research spans global occupational and environmental health, health inequalities, climate change and health, digitalization and AI, as well as traditional occupational hazards. The Centre is also actively engaged with regulatory bodies, and its balance of basic and translational research supports policy makers. 

As COEH enters its ninth decade, the centre continues to build on its founders’ pioneering work while adopting new approaches to train practitioners and address emerging challenges. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with partners COEH remains committed to social responsibility and reducing health inequalities both in the UK and worldwide, continuing to make a significant impact. 

Professor van Tongeren commented: “I am proud and honoured to be part of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, continuing the legacy begun by Prof Ronald Lane 80 years ago. As new challenges like AI emerge and longstanding ones like silicosis persist, our mission to protect worker health through research and teaching remains vital. I’m confident COEH will continue to lead the way.”

80^th anniversary event 

COEH invites colleagues and guests to commemorate 80 years of pioneering research and education at The University of Manchester on the afternoon of 1 October. The event will bring together past and present staff, students, and guests to honour the Centre’s legacy and explore future progress in occupational health.  

The programme will include: 

• Lightning talks showcasing key achievements and ongoing research initiatives 
• Forward-looking panel session to explore challenges and opportunities in occupational health 
• The , presented by Professor Malcolm Sim, former Head of the Monash University Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health in Australia 
• Closing reception  

2025 Lane Lecture 

While UK occupational health research, including at COEH, now focuses more on stress and mental health, traditional risks such as occupational respiratory disease continue to be a key priority. The Centre has, in recent years, led efforts to address the dangers of artificial stone (used frequently in kitchen worktops and bathrooms) as workers without proper controls can develop accelerated silicosis—a serious lung disease affecting even young individuals. 

Professor Malcolm Sim played a lead role in research and advisory activities to address the silicosis epidemic in Australia among stonemasons working with artificial stone. In this year’s Lane Lecture, Professor Sim will explore artificial stone silicosis further through his talk, ‘The Artificial Stone Silicosis Epidemic: Lessons Learned for More Effective Prevention’. 

where you can also find a detailed programme.

The peer reviewed meta-analysis of 16 studies involving 71,336 patients from the US, UK, and the Netherlands published in the today (10/09/25), is a wake-up call to policy makers grappling with escalating numbers affected by the disease. 

“Our study provides evidence of significant disparities in telemedicine use for type 2 diabetes among men, black communities and those with lower levels of education,” said Nawwarah Alfarwan, a PhD researcher and lead author of the study. 

“These groups already face many challenges in accessing essential healthcare services. 

“Every 10 seconds, somebody dies from diabetes-related complications worldwide, most of whom have type 2 diabetes, so policymakers  really need to think about how to improve access to this crucial form of healthcare.” 

Telemedicine has revolutionised the management of type 2 diabetes in primary care by improving access to healthcare services, and consequently health outcomes. 

Comprising a range of technology including virtual consultations, wearable devices, mobile health apps and other technologies, health services have successfully used it as a response to increasing prevalence of the disease. 

Data from 5 studies comprising 59, 609 patients showed patients with higher education levels had 68.1% greater odds of using telemedicine than those with lower education levels. 

The less educated, say the researchers, have lower levels digital and health literacy, and be more likely to have concerns about trust and privacy. 

Ten of the studies, comprising 68,355 patients, showed female patients had a 5% higher chance of using telemedicine than men.

The difference can be explained, say the researchers, by women being more actively engaged with healthcare services not only for themselves but also their family.

Existing epidemiological evidence, they add, suggests men’ have lower help-seeking behaviour, stronger preferences for in-person consultations, or lower levels of digital health literacy.

Five of the studies showed that compared to white patients, black patients were less 45% likely to use telemedicine.

Many people within black communities, the researchers argue, have limited access to digital infrastructure, mistrust in healthcare systems, language barriers, and inadequate insurance coverage or digital literacy support.

And 10 of the studies comprising 47 927 patients showed older patients were 2.1% less likely to use telemedicine than younger patients.

Co-author Professor Maria Panagioti , also from The University of Manchester,  added: “For patients with type2 diabetes, we show the extent of the digital divide in certain demographics, especially those from minority backgrounds.

“Lack of affordable access to computers, smartphone, and lower levels digital and health literacy all contribute to these inequalities.

“By understanding these disparities and addressing the underlying factors, policymakers could make more inclusive and effective telemedicine interventions.

“They should also  consider targeted strategies to improve engagement among men, such as awareness campaigns and tailored interventions.”

• The paper is Demographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Telemedicine Utilisation Among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care: Systematic Review and Meta Analysis is published in the  

The final version of the tool, called INSPECT-SR, is now published on the pre-print server . 

It was developed by a worldwide collaboration of more than 150 integrity and health research experts, led by Dr Jack Wilkinson from The University of Manchester 

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), it was developed in collaboration with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Cochrane, a not-for-profit organisation which is the world’s leading publisher of health systematic reviews. 

Some of the studies are subject to critical but honest errors, but many appear to be fraudulent.

Concerns are growing over the increasing numbers of problematic high-level summaries of the research evidence from randomised controlled trials , known as systematic reviews. 

In 2023 alone, over 10,000 research papers issued globally were retracted by journals according to an analysis by , many of which used evidence from problematic RCTs. 

Dr Wilkinson warns problematic RCTs  can result in medical research potentially being compromised, drug development hindered and promising academic research jeopardised. 

INSPECT-SR is designed to root out problematic RCTs which publish faked or manipulated data or have Inadvertently made critical errors. 

Some, written for a fee by outfits known as “paper mills”, are entirely fabricated. 

The tool guides users through a series of 21 checks, grouped into 4 domains:

• Post publication notices which express concern and retractions.
• conduct, governance, and transparency
• text and figures
• data discrepancies and statistical errors.

One of the most well-known examples of problematic RCT research was around claims the drug Ivermectin, hailed as a miracle drug that would save the lives of people with severe COVID-19. 

However, some of the trials used to make the Ivermectin claims appear to have been fabricated, according  health authorities in the . Subsequent high-quality trials suggested little or no benefit. 

In another example , the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reversed recommendation for a device called a fetal pillow, developed to assist caesarean sections, following the retraction of three clinical studies supporting it. 

According to an article in : An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, a trustworthiness assessment may have prevented the use of the evidence in the NICE guideline, as it contained statistical anomalies. 

And trustworthiness concerns were also identified in a group of trials around the use of  CBT and exercise to combat spinal pain. The trials had substantial impacts on clinical practice guidelines. Several have now been .

Dr Wilkinson said: “When a systematic review is carried out, it includes all randomised  controlled trials on a given topic.

“But historically, there has been no way to identify fraudulent or otherwise problematic RCTs, meaning that these studies are inadvertently included in systematic reviews.

“This is a big problem, as systematic reviews are very influential - they inform health guidelines for example.

“Most fraudulent RCTs are produced by individual researchers rather than commercial paper mills, but with the  advent of  AI I fear  this is likely to become more of a problem in the future.”

He added: “Academic papers are often assessed for quality before they are published. But reviewers do not ask the more fundamental question of whether the evidence they are reading is even genuine..

“But we anticipate that INSPECT-SR will become the standard for assessing trustworthiness of RCTs, especially as it has been created withCochrane for use in their systematic reviews of health interventions.

“However, it’s important to stress that our tool is not merely a test for fraud and misconduct-  though clearly many problematic studies are examples of that.

“It also tests for critical errors which is why our priority is to  determine if a clinical trial should be used to guide healthcare decisions.

“Work is ongoing to develop more automated systems -  perhaps using AI-  to assist with this process. In the future, we hope to expand our work  to detect problems in other forms of research studies, not just clinical trials.”

• The paper INSPECT-SR: a tool for assessing trustworthiness of 1 randomised controlled trials is available on the print server https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.03.25334905

The work by Professors Jo Dumville and Nicky Cullum on the most effective types of compression treatments is good news for the hundreds of thousands of patients affected by venous leg ulcers every year,  costing the NHS tens of millions of pounds. 

Venous ulcers are a common long-term condition which adversely affect people's quality of life; nurses deliver the majority of care, which takes the form of compression therapy as a first-line treatment. 

According to the NHS National Wound Care Strategy Programme, venous leg ulcers account for 60% to 80% of all leg ulcers. 

However, the abundance of different compression treatments and heavy product promotion by the wound care industry makes it difficult for nurses to decide, with patients, on the course of treatment that is most clinically effective and offers the most value to the NHS. 

The guidance - known officially as a “Late Stage Assessment" -  is set to change that by providing crucial information to nursing staff on the most effective types of compression. 

It will also help NHS commissioners and procurement specialists give healthcare professionals access to a range of the most appropriate compression products to ensure their affordability to the NHS. 

According to the researchers’ evidence, the clinical effectiveness of two-layer compression hosiery and two-layer and 4-layer bandages is similar, while compression hosiery is more cost-effective than bandages. However, compression wraps are less clinically and cost-effective.

Professor Cullum was first asked to review the research evidence on leg ulcer management by the then Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Social Care) in 1989.

Working with Professor Dumville, they have been analysing and publishing the evidence in Cochrane and other systematic reviews, and have worked to fill knowledge gaps by doing new randomised controlled trials and other relevant studies.

A Cochrane systematic review is a rigorously conducted, independent review of research evidence on the effects of healthcare interventions, published by Cochrane, a global, not-for-profit organisation.

The latest randomised controlled trial, led by Professor Dumville will have further important implications for care and is likely to be published later in 2025 or early 2026.

Professor Dumville said: ‘I am delighted that our NIHR-funded research has delivered high-quality and relevant evidence on compression therapy for venous leg ulcers.

“The contribution of these findings to NICE’s late-stage assessment underscores the importance of NIHR studies like VenUS 6 in strengthening the clinical evidence base in wound care and informing national recommendations that support best practice in patient care.”

Professor Cullum said: “This is the first time there has been a piece of NICE guidance on compression therapy for venous leg ulcers.

“It feels like something of a culmination of all the work Jo Dumville and I have been doing for decades, so we are delighted it has culminated in some national guidance which will help nurses and patients arrive at informed decisions.”

• See Professor Cullum’s Lockdown Lecture  where she talks about her work on leg ulcers and her with Jude Johnson.

Published in the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) journal Cancer Research Communications, the study assessed AOA’s novel technology that analysed multiple groups of biological markers from a single blood sample. 

The researchers showed the test outperformed traditional biomarker tests for ovarian cancer detection in over 950 patients from Colorado and 91ֱ��. 

This study is a major milestone and AOA is committed to pursuing regulatory approval across the US and Europe in the coming years, ahead of launching the test to the NHS. 

The technology combines two different sets of blood-markers, proteins and lipids, with   machine learning to identify the presence of ovarian cancer in women that present with vague abdominal/pelvic symptoms. 

In samples from University of Colorado the test exhibited an accuracy of 93% across all stages of ovarian cancer and 91% for early-stage disease. 

In a set from 91ֱ��, the model continued to perform strongly, with an accuracy of 92% for all-stages of ovarian cancer and 88% for early-stage disease.

 AOA’s test performed better than single blood-based-markers which have been used for the past 30 year, which were only able to attain accuracies of less than 90%. 

The successful results, say AOA, will inform the final design of the test, which could produce a streamlined and cost-effective diagnostic relevant to healthcare systems globally. 

“Our platform detects ovarian cancer at early stages and with greater accuracy than current tools,” said Alex Fisher COO and Co-Founder of AOA Dx. “These findings show its potential to aid clinicians in making faster, more informed decisions for women who need urgent clarity during a challenging diagnostic process.” 

“By using machine learning to combine multiple biomarker types, we’ve developed a diagnostic tool that detects ovarian cancer across the molecular complexity of the disease in sub-types and stages” said Dr. Abigail McElhinny, Chief Science Officer of AOA Dx. “This platform offers a great opportunity to improve the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer potentially resulting in better patient outcomes and lower costs to the healthcare system.”

varian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, largely due to late-stage diagnosis.

Over 90% of women experience symptoms in Stage I, yet only 20% of cases are diagnosed in Stage I or II, as symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and digestive issues often resemble benign conditions.

Existing diagnostic methods, which rely on invasive procedures or less reliable markers, frequently fail to identify early-stage disease.

An accurate early detection test available to women when they first visit a physician with symptoms could revolutionize the detection of ovarian cancer.

Professor Emma Crosbie, Professor at The University of Manchester and Honorary Consultant in Gynecological Oncology, 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), said: “AOA Dx’s platform shows significant promise for ovarian cancer early detection, offering a practical solution for symptomatic women.”

Professor Crosbie is also National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Co-Theme Lead.

She added: “AOA Dx’s platform has the potential to significantly improve patient care and outcomes for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We are eager to continue advancing this important research through additional prospective trials to further validate and expand our understanding of how this could be integrated into existing healthcare systems.”

The paper Utilizing serum-derived lipidomics with protein biomarkers and machine learning for early detection of ovarian cancer in the symptomatic population published in cancer Research Communications is available DOI:

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Published today  in the journal , the study provides a major insight into the muscular dystrophy subtype known collectively as Collagen VI-related dystrophy – or COL6-RD for short.

The team are the first ever to determine the high resolution structure of collagen VI- one of the networks of protein molecules that give our tissues mechanical strength and the ability to stretch and bend.

Called the extracellular matrix, the protein network also enables cells to sense their environment and communicate with one another in response to mechanical forces.

COL6-RD, which includes Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) and  Bethlem myopathy (BM), can cause a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, joint contractures, decreased muscle tone, and weak breathing muscles.

It is one of a number muscular dystrophy subtypes and others include the more prevalent Duchenne-  caused by mutation of another protein -   for which scientists are developing gene therapies.

However, so far equivalent therapies have not been developed for COL6-RD.

Collagens are the most abundant extracellular matrix proteins, and form long fibres many times smaller than a human hair, called microfibrils. 

Collagen VI forms one type of microfibril, taking on the appearance of a large bead-like structure, consisting of  three separate protein chains, that twist and fold together.

The research required the scientists to develop small fragments of collagen VI, which they called mini-collagens.

Mini-collagens will be useful tools for studying or even treating the diseases associated with collagen VI mutations.

Lead author of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funded study Clair Baldock, Professor of  Biochemistry at the University of Manchester said: “It is extremely important to understand where mutations in the tiny protein chains called collagen VI that cause a subtype of muscular dystrophy are, to help in the design of future treatments.

“Using a technique called cryogenic-electron microscopy -  which can magnify collagen VI hundreds of thousands of times-   we were able to determine the organisation of parts of collagen VI and map the disease mutations.

“That provides an opportunity for scientists to design drugs which specifically target the mutations by focusing only on what's broken.

She added: “We are the first group to determine the high resolution structure of collagen VI; until now, no- one has been able to show the locations of these mutations on the collagen VI structure.

“This is an important step along the path of finding ways to treat these types of muscular dystrophy and will provide momentum  to accelerate scientific discovery in this area.

“We hope that our structure will provide vital information to help the scientific community develop treatments, such as gene therapy, for collagen VI-RD.

“This provides some hope to people with muscular dystrophy that one day treatments will be available to improve their quality of life and help them to stay active and independent.”

• The paper Collagen VI microfibril structure reveals mechanism for molecular assembly and clustering of inherited pathogenic mutations is . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62923-3

 Published in the American Journal of Nephrology today (11/08/25), the researchers show that higher levels of  Kidney Injury Molecule-1(KIM-1), a special marker of kidney damage in the blood and urine, are associated with higher risks of mortality and kidney failure, never before have the two been measured together. 

The research follows hot on the heels of their published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology last month, which measured 21 markers in blood and urine that reflect key processes driving kidney disease, inflammation, and heart disease. 

From the JASN study , the team pinpointed three standout markers that can predict both how quickly kidney disease will progress and the risk of death. 

Unlike the generic tests used in routine kidney clinics, the markers shine a light on the biological changes, underpinning CKD, that truly drive the disease. By revealing the hidden drivers, the discovery opens the door to new treatments designed to target the disease at its roots. 

Lead author Dr Thomas McDonnell, is both a researcher at The University of Manchester and a kidney doctor at Salford Royal Hospital, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. 

He said: “The progression of chronic kidney disease is highly variable between people,  so it’s difficult to predict which patients will progress to kidney failure or worse. 

“But our work raises the prospect of the development of  simple blood or urine tests that could better predict the degree of risk-  invaluable information for doctors and patients. 

“We think that , these models, which are more closely aligned with the underlying biological changes happening in chronic kidney disease, could allow a more tailored approach to the individual needs of patients.”

The researchers analysed the blood and urine of adults with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease from 16 nephrology centres across the UK.

They analysed blood and urine KIM-1 in 2581 patients for the KIM-1 study and looked at all 21 markers of kidney damage, fibrosis, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease together in 2,884 patients for the second

They used statistical analysis  to assess how or if biological signals associated with kidney failure and mortality, and developed risk prediction models.

Because chronic kidney disease can stay stable for years in one person but suddenly worsen in another, doctors find it difficult to identify which patients are most at risk.

Existing blood tests currently only give doctors a partial picture, missing important clues like  inflammation and scar build up. As a result, people with the same CKD stage are often labelled has having the same risk and are given the same treatments.

Dr McDonnell added: “This  discovery may will help doctors identify high-risk patients, so they enact more aggressive interventions, earlier specialist referral, and earlier treatment therapies.

“And by identifying low risk patients, they  would be able to prevent over-treatment.

“Living with chronic kidney disease often means managing fatigue, having limits to what you can and can’t eat, and being consigned to  frequent medical appointments.

“It can be physically and emotionally challenging, but with the appropriate care, it is possible maintain an active and fulfilling life.”

Plasma and Urinary KIM-1 in Chronic Kidney Disease: Prognostic Value, Associations with Albuminuria, and Implications for Kidney Failure and Mortality is published in   doi 10.1159/000547867is 

Biomarkers of kidney failure and all-cause mortality in chronic kidney disease  is published in the  DOI:10.1681/ASN.0000000767

Approximately one in 50 people will develop wounds that fail to heal with the issue a particular problem for older people and in diabetes. 

Chronic wounds are more likely to become infected and can even result in a need for amputation making tackling them a really important issue. 

The paper published in the , reveals that the enzyme-  called arginase 1 -  can  promote wound repair in the  skin, through modulation of  a protein called Lipocalin2. 

A major factor in non-healing wounds is a failure of the damaged outer layer of skin, the epidermis, to repair and regrow. This can be worsened by uncontrolled inflammation and infection. 

The authors show that on wounding Arginase 1 enhanced production of Lipocalin2, an anti-microbial agent, which was required to combat infection and help the skin cells reform the skin barrier. 

Arginase 1 also reduced levels of inflammatory products made by the damaged skin cells showing its potential for tackling the inflammation typically associated with chronic wounds.

 The researchers also showed that the function of arginase, could be restored to help skin regrow by adding products that arginase 1 can make which include metabolites called polyamines. 

The paper follows on from previous by the team, published in February, which showed how important this enzyme Arginase 1 was for healthy skin and eczema. 

A healthy skin barrier involves a balance between cells multiplying (‘proliferating’) and changing their function (‘differentiating’). A key feature of eczema is a disruption of this balance. Arginase is required for skin barrier regulation where it functions to promote cell differentiation, a process essential to maintain a protective healthy skin barrier. A process that is disrupted in eczema.

 Arginase 1 has been shown to have an important role in tissue repair but how it promotes skin health was until now, unknown. 

Lead author Sheena Cruickshank, Professor of immunology at The University of Manchester ‘s Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, said: “These two studies highlight the mechanism by which arginase 1 promotes barrier function and ensures good wound healing. 

“It’s importance is highlighted by the abnormal levels of Arginase seen in wounds that don’t heal well and eczema 

“That is why we think that targeting arginase 1 has potential to be used in the treatment of eczema and non-healing skin ulcers. Data in the two papers suggest it might also protect the skin from infection.” 

She added: “Non-healing skin wounds, or ulcers, are incredibly common and serious skin conditions that are more common as we age. 

“They can have a devastating effect on the lives of patients, causing chronic pain, problems with mobility and can lead to increased morbidity. 

“Similarly, eczema can significantly impact quality of life, leading to intense itching, pain, and sleep disruption. It can also increase the risk of skin infections. 

“We clearly have a long way to go before these skin conditions can be cured, but knowing the crucial role of arginase 1 in the healing process and that we can rescue function in model systems is an important milestone.” 

Jason Wong, Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Regenerative Medicine  from The University of Manchester said: “The burden of chronic wounds seems to be on the increase and any new insights to how we can treat the problem will save limbs.” 

The PhD studentship for coauthor Denis Szondi was funded by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore and The University of Manchester. 

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded a PhD studentship for co-author Rachel Crompton. 

Banked tissue collection was funded by Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). (Prof Wong is part of the Dermatology Theme at the NIHR 91ֱ�� BRC.

British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 193, Issue 1, July 2025, Pages 125–135, 

On Thursday 17^th July 2025, researchers from The University of Manchester furthered their entrepreneurial journey by completing the MEC R2I programme at the Options Roundabout event. The event saw participants pitch their innovations to a panel of commercialisation experts, entrepreneurs and funders from across the University. The day concluded with a celebration of the cohort’s accomplishments with peers and supporters of the programme, as well as a networking opportunity to aid them in their next steps.

The R2I programme aims to inspire and accelerate the translation of academic research into impact-driven ventures. Over the course of 12-weeks, participants benefited from a series of bespoke workshops and mentoring opportunities to help them articulate their ideas and explore the commercial potential of their research.

Six Innovation Enabling Awards were granted to acknowledge the progress and growth potential, with early career researchers receiving between £2,000 to £10,000 to support the further development of their businesses.

Aurore Hochard, Director of the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre, presented the Innovation Enabling Awards to the six winning projects.

Award Winners

Innovation Enabling Award: £10,000

Lutèo Medical

Dr Abigail Elias (School of Biological Sciences)

“The support, mentoring, and resources provided through the Researcher to Innovator (R2I) programme have been transformative. Most importantly, the experience gave me the confidence to reach out to potential stakeholders and begin building the connections needed to bring my ideas to life. It was also great to connect with people on the cohort from such a broad range of disciplines."

Innovation Enabling Award: £5,000

ViRTUE: Virtual Reality Training in Ultrasonic Evaluation

Daniel Conniffe (School of Engineering)

“R2I equipped me with the resources, motivation, and communication skills to bridge the gap between research and industry. Through building a strong network, I gained insight into real-world challenges and was able to pivot my research toward creating a meaningful, practical solution.”

Innovation Enabling Award: £3,000

Hollowgraf

Dr Premlal Balakrishna Pillai (School of Engineering)

“The encouragement, guidance, and practical knowledge I gained through R2I have been truly inspiring. The programme really helped me to clarify my idea and shape it into a commercially viable opportunity, giving me the confidence to take the first steps into entrepreneurship.”

Innovation Enabling Award: £2,000

PRECIOUS: Programmable Recovery of Critical Elements Using Synthetic Biology

Dr Sergio Gutiérrez Zapata (School of Natural Sciences)

“The R2I programme gave me the push I didn’t know I needed. It helped me go from a scientific idea to something that could actually work in the real world — with real people and real challenges. Being able to shape a venture around bioremediation, and test the idea from different angles, has been incredibly motivating.”

Innovation Enabling Award: £2,000

PRISM: Prostate cancer Risk Identification by Spectroscopic Measurement

Dr Dougal Ferguson (School of Engineering)

“The R2I programme really helped me hone my ability to concisely and impactfully pitch my research as a commercial application. I am much more confident now pitching my science to a non-scientific audience!”

Innovation Enabling Award: £2,000

Inclusive Skincare Solutions

Yoana Kirilova (School of Biological Sciences)

“The Researcher to Innovator programme has been a fantastic journey – connecting with like-minded peers, learning from experienced entrepreneurs, and gaining insights that will continue to shape my innovation journey.”

The prize winners will also receive expert support and signposting to regional and national accelerator programmes and all the participants on the MEC R2I programme will be connected to the wider ecosystem for further support, mentoring and guidance in taking their research ideas forward.

The organisers wish to thank the Innovation Academy and the Engineers for Business Fellowship for their sponsorship of the Innovation Enabling Awards.

The  is supported by the University’s Innovation Academy. The Innovation Academy is a pan University initiative and joint venture between the , the  and the Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange team, bringing together knowledge, expertise and routes to facilitate the commercialisation of research.

The research study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), LifeArc and the Wellcome Trust and published in The Lancet Neurology today (16/07/25). 

Twenty-five years ago when Timothy Bingham was two years old, he had a mild flu like illness which left him unable to walk. 

Three years later following another infection, he was paralysed and has been in a wheelchair ever since. 

Then in 2011, doctors saw an 8-month-old girl at a UK hospital who had been completely fit and well until a mild chest infection left her unable to breathe without the support of a ventilator. 

They considered that there may be a genetic cause as her two brothers had experienced similar severe problems following mild infections. 

Genetic researchers at the University of Manchester have now discovered that changes in a gene called RCC1 led to this severe nerve damage in both Timothy and the family in 91ֱ��. 

A further 20 children from 10 families from the UK, Türkiye, Czechia, Germany, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Slovakia have been found to have changes in the same gene leading to this severe nerve condition all triggered by mild infections. 

In over half of the children, doctors suspected the diagnosis of a different severe nerve condition that can develop after infection called . 

The researchers performed laboratory studies on skin cells taken from patients and in specially genetically  engineered fruit flies to show that the damage to nerves can be caused by certain chemicals. 

Skin cells from patients when looked at under special microscopes have changes very similar to those seen in the cells of patients with motor neuron disease where muscles, including those controlling breathing and swallowing, become weak. 

Bill Newman, Professor of Translational Genomic Medicine at the University of Manchester and Rare Condition co-theme lead at the NIHR 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre led the research. 

He said: “Until this study, little was known about why some people experience severe nerve damage after they have had a mild infection like flu or a stomach upset. 

“This work provides families with an explanation and is the first step in us developing an effective treatment. As children are well before they develop nerve damage following an infection, this gives us an opportunity to treat at risk children before problems occur. 

“The similarity with Guillain-Barré syndrome and with conditions like motor neuron disease may help us understand these more common conditions and why some people are at greater risk and what treatments may be effective.” 

Kate Bingham, mum of Tim who is now 28, said: “About 25 years ago Tim got a flu like infection and a temperature. What seemed like a minor illness had devastating consequences. 

“The attack, and subsequent attacks - did terrible damage. First to his legs, then his arms, his face and his chest. 

“And now he needs 24-hour care. His diaphragm barely works at all so he can’t cough. It’s hard for him to chew and he can’t drink unassisted. He can’t move in bed so needs turning throughout the night. The things we all take for granted he can’t do. 

“But I’m proud of how strong Tim has been. He now has a girlfriend he met online who is wonderful. He proves there is life beyond disability.” 

She added: “As Tim’s mum the discovery of a gene which is linked to what happened to Tim means everything to me. For so long we have lived with uncertainty of not knowing the full picture. 

“This breakthrough brings us great hope as it will do to all those people who have waited years for answers. This is something that helps us look to the future.” 

Sam Barrell, CEO of LifeArc, said, ““For many people living with rare conditions, the wait for a diagnosis can be agonisingly long - around a third wait more than five years. In Timothy’s case, that uncertainty stretched for over twenty years.  This discovery provides a potential target for treatment and the first step towards delivering a brighter future for people that could be living with this same devastating condition.” 

Image: Kate and Tim and Tim with his dog, Red.

The paper Acute-onset axonal neuropathy following infection in children with biallelic RCC1 variants: a case series is published in The Lancet Neurology here DOI 

Up to £50 million is to be invested in a Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) in Exposome Immunology over the next 14 years.

These environmental exposures, which also include things like microbes and toxins, predominantly interact with our bodies at what we call ‘mucosal barrier sites’, for example our lungs and intestines. Here, they met by our immune cells, and can change how the immune system works, pushing some tissues into chronic inflammation, causing diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The centre will embrace AI technology to interrogate large data sets, such as those from UK Biobank, patient cohorts and long-term studies in hospital clinics, and identify common pathways by which environmental factors disrupt the immune system. Findings will be tested through laboratory studies and by exposing healthy volunteers to pollutants and common viral infections, leading to more accurate diagnoses, better prevention, and more effective treatment options.

Individuals from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds often have a more adverse exposome, facing greater exposure to pollution, mould (in poor quality housing), and occupational hazards (cleaning chemicals, industrial processes). The MRC CoRE is therefore key to The University of Manchester’s mission to address , and builds on work investigating .

Professor Judi Allen, from The University of Manchester is Director of the MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology.

She said: “Globally we’re facing a crisis in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. For decades we’ve been studying how our genes make us susceptible to disease. While very valuable, genetics has only got us so far. We need to understand how our environment interacts with our genes to make our immune system malfunction.”

“We will benefit from advances in new technologies to identify which of the many complex factors may be important in driving disease, but what’s different about our new Centre is we are going to define how the immune system is altered by these environmental factors and how that impacts inflammation. Changing environments, often made worse by socioeconomic disparities and rising pollution, appear to be increasing the rates of these diseases, making it even more imperative to find the causes.”

“We hope to later expand our research to include more environmental factors, such as mould and microplastics, which are growing concerns. An ultimate goal of this research would be to discover the underlying causes of these chronic diseases so we can develop better prevention and treatments.”

Professor Fiona Powrie, co-director of the MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology, from University of Oxford, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring together complementary expertise in The University of Manchester and University of Oxford to build a multidisciplinary team to tackle this challenge. Our Centre will train a new generation of scientists working across biology and environmental science, future proofing our efforts to combat the health effects of a changing environment.”

Professor Patrick Chinnery, MRC Executive Chair, said: “This new MRC Centre of Research Excellence will transform our understanding of how lifelong environmental exposures shape immune health and cause chronic inflammatory diseases. With chronic inflammatory diseases posing such a large and growing disease burden, the new centre is well placed pave the way for more effective and targeted treatments.

“Alongside exceptional scientific leadership linking two world-leading centres, and strong partnerships with patients and digital health innovators, the scientists’ commitment to the next generation of researchers will embed UK leadership in this field, with long-term potential to deliver a transformative, global impact for health.”

The findings - based on the scans of 1,684 women - could make the difficult task of determining whether labour should be induced in the final stages of pregnancy easier, resulting in fewer complications, say the researchers.

Published today in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, the study was led by gynaecologist Sanne Gordijn of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in collaboration with Wessel Ganzevoort of Amsterdam University Medical Centre and Professor Alexander Heazell from The University of Manchester.

When pregnant women feel their baby is moving less in the final weeks of pregnancy, they are referred to hospital where an examination is carried out to assess the condition of the baby.

The examination consists of monitoring the baby’s heart rate and an assessment of its growth and amniotic fluid - the fluid around the baby it.

Now the researchers have discovered that an extra ultrasound scan - in addition to the other tests-  is able to significantly help doctors to see whether a baby would benefit from being born earlier.

By measuring the resistance in the blood vessels of the umbilical cord and the baby's brain they were able to accurately assess the functioning of the placenta and the condition of the baby, making it easier to decide if doctors needed to induce delivery earlier.

The perception from mothers that their baby is moving less commonly can occur when a baby has changed position or the mother hasn’t noticed the movement because she is busy or distracted.

However in some cases, reduced movement could be a sign that the baby is unwell, which can be worrying for pregnant women and midwives.

Professor Heazell said: “We know that a reduction in baby’s movements is a common reason to attend maternity services. Thankfully, in the majority of cases the baby is ok.

“The findings of this study will help us to reassure the majority of mothers that their baby is healthy, and help us to focus intervention for the babies who will benefit from being born because they are not receiving enough oxygen or nutrients in the womb.”

Sanne Gordijn said: “We call the ratio between the two ultrasound measurements the Cerebro Placental Ratio (CPR). The idea is that an abnormal value may indicate that the placenta is not functioning properly.

“In that case, it is better for the baby to be born in the short term. We do this by inducing labour. If the value is normal, it would be better to wait for the natural moment of delivery, as the baby may not be completely ready yet. Women who want to give birth at home can still do so.”

“The results of this study show better outcomes for the baby when the result of the CPR measurement is known.

“This means that we see fewer complications during childbirth when this measurement is taken, compared to the current policy where it is not done.”

She added: “If doctors know the results of this measurement, they can better distinguish whether the baby's reduced movement has a harmless cause or whether it requires action.

“This ensures that mother and baby receive the care that best suits their situation.' The guideline on reduced fetal movements will soon be updated; the professional association will incorporate the results of this study into it.”

The study was funded by ZonMw from the Netherlands.

Sanne Gordijn conducted this CEPRA study together with researchers from Amsterdam UMC in 23 hospitals. Laura Lens, the MD, PhD student on this study presented at the international SMFM conference in Denver (USA) and Sanne in London. The study is published on July 10 in the authoritative scientific journal The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health.

• The study is published in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health and is available
• doi.org/10.1016/j.lanogw.2025.100002

Despite tearing his right knee ligament just eight weeks ago, the customer service officer – who works at a Halifax Housing Association – will walk 120 miles nonstop, without sleep.

Starting at the Angel of the North in Gateshead on Saturday 12 July, 42-year-old Ben will make his way to Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic and Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at Saint Mary’s Hospital – the specialist unit that helped save his son’s life.

Just seven days later, after flying to Rhodes, Ben will climb the steep mountain road to Prophet Elias Monastery in Faliraki, Greece an exhausting 50 times – a gruelling test of endurance with no shade and where temperatures are likely to soar above 40°C.

Ben is aiming to raise £20,000 for Professor Alex Heazell, Director of the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre and the University of Manchester-based team leading UK research to reduce preventable stillbirths and support families through pregnancy after loss.

Ben and his partner Gaynor Thompson lost their daughter Kallipateira to a preventable stillbirth at 37 weeks in October 2018. They later suffered a miscarriage in 2019.

Determined to stop other families going through the same heartbreak, they founded The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation, which funds research and supports families affected by baby loss.

In 2020, their son Apollon was born safely at Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic, thanks to the specialist care of Professor Heazell.

Ben has since taken on multiple extreme solo fundraising feats.

“This year has brought mountains I’ve had to climb emotionally and physically. Now, I’m preparing to put myself through the mill – fuelled by love, grief, and purpose,” said Ben.

“There’s no pain greater than holding your dead baby in your arms – but every step I take will honour Kallipateira and help save other babies across the UK. I will once again show that because of love and a reason why, anything is possible.”

Every day in the UK, eight babies are stillborn – many of which are preventable.

The funds Ben raises will go directly to Professor Heazell’s team, who are making groundbreaking progress in understanding stillbirth and supporting parents in pregnancy after loss.

Alex Heazell, who is also Professor of Obstetrics at The University of Manchester and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of MFT, said: “Ben’s unwavering commitment is extraordinary. His support has already helped us improve care for families and expand our research into stillbirth prevention. These challenges will fund new projects that could save lives.”

Dignity Funerals, through Lawrence Funeral Directors Halifax, are proud headline sponsors of Ben’s 2025 challenge.

Stuart Cox, Head of Public Affairs at Dignity, said: “Ben is a true inspiration. We’re honoured to support The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation and the vital work they do in memory of Kallipateira.”

To support Ben’s Mission donate now at: 

The University of Manchester project has been awarded the grant through the NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call with support from SBRI Healthcare (Small Business Research Initiative) as part of a new, unique national partnership which could save lives and improve quality of life.

Researchers in 91ֱ�� will implement an innovative lung cancer risk assessment tool and an adapted care pathway for Hodgkin lymphoma survivors, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) 91ֱ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

The new multi-centre study started in June 2025 and will be running for two years within the existing NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme at 10 Cancer Alliances across England, including Greater 91ֱ�� Cancer Alliance leading the initiative.

Every year, around 2,100 people in the UK are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system (part of the immune system).

Although it is a highly curable cancer, treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the chest and lungs increase the risk of second cancers occurring in later life. This risk increases further for people who smoke.

Survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma are six times more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population.

91ֱ�� lead Dr Kim Linton, Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester and Living With and Beyond Cancer Co-Theme Lead at 91ֱ�� BRC, said: “It is crucial that Hodgkin lymphoma survivors can access screening to detect lung cancer at an early stage, when it is more treatable.”

Developed in 91ֱ��, the new UK-wide programme aims to screen 500 Hodgkin lymphoma survivors over two years, which could detect early lung cancer in an estimated 10-12 people.

Joanne Murray, from Didsbury in 91ֱ��, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 1997 at the age of 29 and received successful treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

She took part in the pilot study in 2022 which helped 91ֱ�� researchers design the new national programme. Despite having no symptoms, the study found Joanne had stage 1 lung cancer.

Now 56 and living in North Wales, Joanne said: “I feel exceptionally lucky that this research has saved my life. I had no symptoms of lung cancer and had I not taken part in this study, it might have been too late for me once symptoms had appeared.”

Through the study, Joanne had a CT scan at The Christie in 91ֱ�� which revealed a ‘fluffy’ and opaque nodule (small lump) on her right lung. Following surgery to remove part of her lung, a biopsy revealed it was stage 1 cancer.

Joanne, who works for North Wales Police, explained: “After my scan, doctors closely monitored me through ‘watch and wait’, with regular check-ups to determine if the nodule grew or if I developed symptoms. In November 2023, after I had moved to Wales, a follow-up scan at my local hospital showed that the nodule had grown by 1mm. After discussing my treatment options, I decided to have surgery to remove part of my right lung.”

Joanne had the surgery in January 2024 at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. She said: “I was absolutely terrified of having the surgery, but it was fine, and all the staff were fantastic. I had video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery [a form of keyhole surgery] which was less invasive, and I was back home in two days to recover.

“When I found out from the biopsy that it had been stage 1 cancer, I was in complete shock. I’m a positive person and thought I had just been overthinking it. I am so thankful for this vital research and the team at The Christie.”

Now 18 months later, Joanne has had two clear scans, with the next one due in early 2026.

On taking part in research, Joanne said: “When I read the letter asking me if I wanted to be part of research I thought, ‘there’s nothing wrong with me, but I’ll do it.’ You never know what’s around the corner.

“Without doubt, I would urge other cancer survivors to take part in screening. It might take 10 or 15 minutes out of your day, but it could save your life.”

Hodgkin lymphoma can develop at any age, but it mostly affects people between 20 and 40 years of age and those over 75. The most common symptom is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit or groin.

Second cancers, such as lung cancer or breast cancer, can develop more than 10 years after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. Survivors can help to reduce their risk of a second cancer by adopting a healthy lifestyle through not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight with a balanced diet, and getting regular exercise.

Dr Linton, who is also an Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Most Hodgkin lymphoma survivors do not meet current lung cancer screening criteria, so we hope the success of this study will support an application for routine adoption across England and Wales.

“In 91ֱ��, we have been working on a lung cancer screening programme for Hodgkin lymphoma survivors for many years, including a pilot screening study at The Christie where we detected 3 lung cancers in 102 people who had showed no symptoms.

“This research helped us to design the national programme and confirmed that our proposed study meets the needs of this high-risk patient group. This work also builds on 91ֱ��’s previous track record of successfully implementing breast cancer screening for Hodgkin lymphoma survivors within the national breast cancer screening programme.”

The new study will be open to Hodgkin lymphoma survivors aged between 45 and 74 who smoke or have previously smoked.

It will have an embedded programme to identify and tackle health inequalities, including people where their risk of lung cancer is highest, such as those with lower socioeconomic status, men and older people.

It will help address barriers to screening participation, such as fear of cancer diagnosis, low perceived risk of cancer and issues of cost, travel and time off work.

Screening will take place at convenient community-based settings to encourage participation, including in mobile clinics at supermarket car parks.

Researchers will actively promote screening participation for people with the highest smoking prevalence.

Participants will be offered health education and stop smoking advice to encourage supported self-management to prevent lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and other significant illnesses, which could lead to improved survivorship and reduced healthcare costs.

The 91ֱ��-based project is part of the NIHR 91ֱ�� BRC’s , which aims to transform the detection of cancer recurrence and second cancers to improve quality of life and treatment outcomes for survivors.

Researchers will also be collaborating with the NIHR 91ֱ�� BRC’s , which aims to reduce cancer burden across society through implementing prevention and early detection strategies.

The project will be supported by the NIHR Oncology Translational Research Collaboration, Lymphoma Action charity and patient partners.

Health Innovation 91ֱ�� will work with Greater 91ֱ�� Cancer Alliance to support local adoption and run patient focus groups to understand barriers to engagement and develop solutions to improve uptake.

• images: Dr Kim Linton and  Joanne and Rob

The former GP, Director of Public Health and Medical Director was tragically killed in a terrorist attack while holidaying in Sri Lanka. 

She studied medicine at The University of Manchester and started her medical career as a GP in Salford. 

Her brother Lord Keith Bradley will today (9/07/25) present this year’s prize to Mark Westwood, who received a distinction at the 13th International of Public Health. 

Mark, who has worked in the NHS and volunteered with the Scouting movement is hoping to join the University as a PhD student. 

Lord Keith Bradly – a Labour Party politician created the award in his sister’s name to recognise highest achieving Masters in Public Health (MPH) student from Greater 91ֱ��. 

Prof Arpana Verma, Programme Director of the MPH said: “Sally was an inspiration to us all. Not only was she a remarkable clinician and public health doctor, she was a wife, sister, aunt, friend and colleague to countless many. 

“She was kind, clever and incredibly knowledgeable. She lit up the room with her charisma, charm and her infectious laugh. 

“There are no words to express our gratitude to Lord Bradley and Sally’s amazing family to honour our programme and our students with this inspirational award.” 

She added: “As we teach and train the next generation, we can give our students and alumni the incredible legacy Sally has left us. 

“Mark is a worthy recipient of this honour. He has been an exceptional student and will go on to make important contributions to the field of public health. 

“His voluntary work has been exceptional -  and signifies just how much he cares about the community in which he lives 

The Masters in Public health online programme, created in 2002 by Prof Dick Heller, was was one of first fully distance learning programmes in the UK. 

Since then it has grown to over 2,000 alumni from all over the world, offering fully flexible learning options to allow students to juggle working full time with their studies.

Lord Bradley said: “On behalf of my family, I am proud to pay tribute to my sister, Dr Sally Bradley, who was so cruelly killed alongside her husband Bill in the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka some 5 years ago. 

“Since that time, I have recovered numerous messages of kindness remembering Sally and conversations with many of her former colleagues and friends who stressed how inspirational she was to their careers and her utter commitment to preventative healthcare and the crucial role of public health in that endeavour. 

“I am delighted that Mark Westwood will receive this year’s Dr Sally Bradley prize. He clearly encapsulates the values that my sister tried to instil in public health in 91ֱ�� and well beyond. He is a tremendously worthy winner. 

“I and my family are honoured to ensure that Sally’s legacy will live on and that we all continue to strive for improved health and wellbeing throughout our communities.” 

Students can to learn the ‘art and the science’ of public health at their own pace, with a choice of over twenty different course units covering what professionals need for their careers in public health both here and internationally. 

The course concentrates on research-led teaching and students are encouraged to participate and learn from research partners and projects, especially for their dissertations. 

The themes of this year’s festival are AI and In-Silico Public Health, Women’s research and Inclusive Research. 

• More information on the Masters in public Health programme is available here
• Image is of Sally Bradley.

By carefully monitoring the level of cancer activity in the blood, doctors can identify the best time to start and stop the drugs to give treatment breaks, which it is hoped will prevent resistance to treatment developing and also reduce side effects. This experimental blood test could help people with stage 4 melanoma, a type of skin cancer, live longer. 

The ground-breaking approach looks for tiny fragments of DNA coming from the cancer, which can be found in the patient’s blood. 

Dr Rebecca Lee, consultant oncologist and clinician scientist at The Christie and a senior lecturer in Medical Oncology at The University of Manchester is leading on the DyNAMIc trial.She said: “Cancer treated with targeted therapy can be thought of as two armies of cells; those that are sensitive to the treatment and those that are resistant, which fight for nutrients in order to grow. A patient does not want either cell army to win as that means their cancer will get worse. Although the targeted therapy can kill the sensitive cells, over time the resistant ones grow through. However, if treatment breaks are given, it is thought that the growth of these resistant cells can be suppressed by the sensitive cells. 

“This blood test enables us to develop a new approach to overcome resistance to targeted therapy treatment. The DyNAMIc trial is really at the forefront of precision medicine. We can adapt the treatment in response to the patient’s melanoma activity levels in real-time and therefore reduce the chance of the cancer becoming resistant in the long term.  This could be a real game-changer in how we treat melanoma and other patients with cancer undergoing similar treatments in the future.” 

Professor Paul Lorigan, consultant oncologist at The Christie and chief investigator for the DyNAMIc trial said: “Evaluating new biomarker in clinical trials such as DyNAMIc allows us to personalise treatment decisions and continue to improve outcomes for patients with melanoma and other cancers.  The close collaboration between The Christie and the National Biomarker Centre has allowed us to take this from concept to clinical trial.  The study is now open in ten centres in the UK, led by the 91ֱ�� team. This would not be possible without support from the patients and their families, The Christie and The Christie Charity, Jon Moulton Charity Trust, Cancer Research UK and many other colleagues.” 

Dr Dominic Rothwell, the Deputy Director of the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre and one of the team who helped develop the test said: “The DyNAMIc trial is a great example of how cutting-edge research, funded by the Jon Moulton Charity Trust and CRUK can lead to the development of exciting new tests and how, in close collaboration with our clinical colleagues, these tests can be transferred to the clinic and lead to the potential improvement of treatments for cancer patients.” 

The first patient to join this clinical trial was a supermarket worker from Stockport in Greater 91ֱ��. Jan Smith (64) had been working on the shop floor at her local superstore in November 2022 when she started to experience severe pain and was rushed to A&E. A scan revealed kidney stones which doctors were able to treat successfully.  However, the scan also showed a shadow near her left kidney which was far more serious. It was a 12-inch-deep mass around her adrenal gland at the top of her kidney and a biopsy confirmed she had stage 4 (the most advanced stage) melanoma in December 2022. 

The self-confessed ‘crazy cat lady’, who shares her home with five much-loved moggies, was referred to The Christie. 

“I hadn’t had any symptoms and never take time off sick at work. The pain I had with the kidney stones was unbelievable. Like nothing I’d known before. But in a strange way they saved my life.” Jan explained: “It was good news to be told that they had managed to clear the stones but a real shock to discover I had cancer. My local hospital said they couldn’t remove the tumour as it was too big, so I was referred to The Christie for more specialist treatment.” 

In January 2023 Jan began a course of immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Unfortunately, within weeks her condition worsened, and she developed speech difficulties and weakness on one side of her body. Jan was given the devastating news that she had developed two brain tumours and needed emergency life-saving surgery to remove part of the tumour in the right side of her head. 

Unfortunately a scan in October 2024 found a new growth near Jan’s liver so she was offered the chance to participate in research at the ) at in 91ֱ��. Jan was told in the November she was eligible for DyNAMIc, a clinical trial which aims to improve how well the treatment works for patients whose melanoma can’t be removed by surgery or has spread. 

Jan was prescribed two targeted drugs, encorafenib and binimetinib which is an approved treatment in patients with melanoma. They suppress a protein called BRAF, which causes melanoma cells to survive and grow. Around half of people with melanoma have a BRAF mutation which can become overactive.  

These drugs stop the cancer growing and can shrink the tumour by killing off the cells with the abnormal gene. But the cancer can fight back and develop more changes and become resistant to the treatment. Therefore, a sensitive blood test which precisely measures the amount of circulating DNA from the cancer enabling treatment can be turned on and off as required could be very beneficial to patients. 

Talking about her experience of being on the clinical trial, Jan Smith said: “This has been quite a journey with one thing after another, and my battle with cancer is certainly not over yet.  Despite numerous setbacks and changing treatments, I’ve tried to always stay positive and I’m glad to be benefiting from this trial.

“I am pleased to take part in research. If we don’t try new treatments, then we’ll not get the answers and make the medical advancements we need.”

The DyNAMIc study is open for recruitment with the aim of recruiting 40 participants.  The trial is funded by the Jon Moulton Charity Trust, sponsored by The Christie and run by the Liverpool Clinical Trials Centre.  

According to Cancer Research UK, new treatments for melanoma have improved outcomes in recent years. Around half of people with stage 4 melanoma can now survive for 10 years or more.

Dr Rebecca Lee is a senior lecturer in Medical Oncology at The University of Manchester and her post at The Christie is funded by .

Any patients interested in taking part in clinical trials should discuss this option with their consultant or GP. Not all patients will fit the criteria for a specific trial. While clinical trials can be successful for some patients, outcomes can vary from case to case. More information about taking part in clinical trials can be found .