Latest University of London Stories

Research published today in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine raises further questions about a trial of HPV vaccines in India. The trial, which has now been halted and is the subject of an investigation by the Indian government, was examining the safety and feasibility of offering a vaccine against the virus associated with cervical cancer. The new study by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Edinburgh suggests that lack of data on cervical...

Research finds 20 distinct mutations A rare disease which often first presents in newborn babies has been traced to a novel genetic defect, scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have found. The research, published online in Nature Genetics (27 May) discovered 20 distinct mutations in a specific gene found in patients with the rare adrenal disease, Familial Glucocorticoid Deficiency (FGD). The potentially fatal disease means affected children are unable to produce a hormone...

Banning and criminalizing the Muslim face veil tests the very foundations of modern liberal society, warn researchers from Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Sussex. The paper ‘Reasons to Ban? The Anti-Burqa Movement in Western Europe’ examines the move to legislate against, and to criminalize face-veiling which has swept across the EU recently. The European movement against face-veiling is now widespread, with calls to implement a ban, or a ban being in place,...

Tiny organelles called primary cilia hold the key to combat inflammation Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have found a new therapeutic target to combat inflammation. The research, published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, revealed tiny organelles called primary cilia are important for regulating inflammation. The findings could lead to potential therapies for millions of people who suffer from arthritis. Dr Martin Knight who led the research at...

A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London reveals the many difficulties faced by people with diabetes in self-managing their disease. People with diabetes have to invest a great deal of time and effort to manage their condition. This includes not only monitoring the level of sugar in their blood, organizing their medication and following a restrictive diet but also social challenges such as negotiating relatives' input and gaining access to doctors when they need to....

Mechanism which causes normal cells to develop into cancer has been uncovered by Queen Mary scientists Research from Queen Mary, University of London has uncovered the mechanism which causes normal cells to develop into cancer, giving hope in the fight against one of the UK's biggest killers. The study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE today (26 March), investigated the role of the notorious cancer gene FOXM1. Lead investigator Dr Muy-Teck Teh from Queen Mary, University of...

Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have identified a new protein that makes pancreatic cancer cells less 'sticky' and therefore less able to attach to and invade other tissue. The protein, known as S100PBP, does this by suppressing a second protein called cathepsin Z. The research team has shown that cathepsin Z makes pancreatic cancer cells sticky, allowing them to spread to their surrounding environment. Prior to this study nothing was known about the function of S100PBP in...

Scientists discover protein and move a step closer to preventing cardiovascular disease Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Surrey have found a protein inside blood vessels with an ability to protect the body from substances which cause cardiovascular disease. The findings, published online in the journal Cardiovascular Research, have revealed the protein pregnane X receptor (PXR) can switch on different protective pathways in the blood vessels....

Lake Naivasha provides natural experiment to investigate interaction between carp and crayfish Louisiana red swamp crayfish and common carp are two of the most invasive species on the planet yet how they interact has only recently been revealed by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London. The study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, investigated the interaction between the crayfish and carp in Kenya's Lake Naivasha between 2001 and 2008. The crayfish were introduced to...