Machine learning models for diagnosing COVID-19 are not yet suitable for clinical use
Systematic review finds that machine learning models for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 from medical images have major flaws and biases, making them unsuitable for use in patients. However, researchers have suggested ways to remedy the problem.
Radiomics in stroke medicine: assessing robustness and feasibility for stroke prevention
A cross-discipline group of researchers, led by MB PhD student Elizabeth Le and PI James Rudd, have published in Nature Scientific Reports the first attempt to determine whether radiomics might be useful for predicting stroke in patients with carotid artery disease. Radiomics refers to the harnessing of information 'hidden' within medical images for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, and is being increasingly used in oncology.
New method developed for ‘up-sizing’ mini organs used in medical research
A team of engineers and scientists has developed a method of ‘up-sizing’ organoids: miniature collections of cells which mimic the behaviour of various organs and are promising tools for the study of human biology and disease.
When Symptoms Don't Stop
Treating those most severely affected by COVID-19 has necessarily taken priority during the pandemic. But could long COVID be the next wave of the crisis?
Our hearts and minds are more closely linked than we thought, suggests University of Cambridge study
Professor Emanuele Di Angelantonio, BHF-funded researcher at the University of Cambridge, said: “This is the largest evidence to date that feelings related to depression are associated with a person’s chance of having heart disease or stroke in the future.
SIRT6 Protects Smooth Muscle Cells from Senescence and Reduces Atherosclerosis
SIRT6 protein expression is reduced in human and mouse plaque VSMCs and is positively regulated by CHIP. SIRT6 regulates telomere maintenance and VSMC lifespan, and inhibits atherogenesis, all dependent on its deacetylase activity. Our data shows that endogenous SIRT6 deacetylase is an important and unrecognized inhibitor of VSMC senescence and atherosclerosis.
Policy, Scientific Advocacy, and Combatting Obesity- workshop outcome
The United Kingdom is one of the most obese countries in the world, with more than two-thirds of adults overweight. The covid-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to the obesity epidemic, as being overweight increases the risk of hospitalization or death due to the virus. With this context in mind, CSaP convened an expert panel and a group of early career researchers from the Cambridge Metabolic Network and the Cardiovascular Interdisciplinary Research Centre to explore the role of scientific advice and advocacy in responding to the UK's obesity epidemic.
Scientists to improve heart attack treatment by blocking heart damaging molecules
Scientists in Cambridge are to investigate how the treatment of heart attacks could be improved.
Lack of understanding of common heart condition leads to missed treatment opportunities, study suggests
Poor awareness of a condition known as Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) – the cause of a half of all cases of heart failure in England – could be hindering opportunities to improve care for patients, say researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester, and Keele.
‘Mini-lungs’ reveal early stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection
‘Mini-lungs’ grown from tissue donated to Cambridge hospitals has provided a team of scientists from South Korea and the UK with important insights into how COVID-19 damages the lungs. Writing in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the researchers detail the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection and the early innate immune response in the lungs.
Dr Sanjay Sinha featured in Surgeons: Edge of Life on BBC 2
Dr Sanjay Sinha, Lead of the Cambridge part of the BHF Oxbridge Centre of Regenerative Medicine (CRM) and Cardiologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, was featured in the latest series on Surgeons: Edge of Life aired on BBC 2 on the 20th of October.
Punctured lung affects almost one in a hundred hospitalised COVID-19 patients
"Doctors need to be alert to the possibility of a punctured lung in patients with COVID-19, even in people who would not be thought to be typical at-risk patients" Stefan Marciniak
Prevention of heart disease can start before birth
Babies that experience low oxygen levels in the womb due to pregnancy complications often go on to develop heart disease in adulthood. A study using sheep has discovered that a specialised antioxidant called MitoQ can prevent heart disease at its very onset. The results are published today in the journal Science Advances.
Top UK scientists urge Prime Minister to prevent catastrophic fall in charity research funding
More than 60 of the UK’s top cardiovascular disease and cancer research scientists have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister pressing for urgent financial support for UK medical research charities.
Fellow recognised for research into “devastating” medical condition
Professor Nick Morrell (2013) has been awarded the John Vane Medal by the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London. The award is presented annually to celebrate outstanding achievement linked to the Nobel Prize-winning research interests of the late Sir John Vane.
New artificial heart valve could transform open-heart surgery
A new type of artificial heart valve, made of long-lived polymers, could mean that millions of patients with diseased heart valves will no longer require lifelong blood-thinning medication after valve replacement surgery.
Toni Vidal-Puig – Leading with Empathy Through the Covid-19 Pandemic
Professor Antonio Vidal-Puig is Professor of Molecular Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Cambridge. Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the research landscape. Toni tells in an interview with the BHF, how the BHF CRE have supported the research, about fundraising for PPE, testing the strength of global networks, and what we can learn from the crisis.
British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence pump priming funds
BHF CRE pump priming funds are being used to support a Multi-modality imaging and immunophenotyping of COVID-19 related myocardial injury project.
Repurposing existing drugs for COVID-19 a more rapid alternative to a vaccine, say researchers
"[Repurposed drugs] will have already been shown to be safe and so, if they can now be shown to be effective in COVID-19, they could be brought to clinical use relatively quickly" Anthony Davenport
Switching on a key cancer gene could provide first curative treatment for heart disease
Researchers trying to turn off a gene that allows cancers to spread have made a surprising U-turn. By making the gene overactive and functional in the hearts of mice, they have triggered heart cell regeneration
Cambridge to spearhead £20million alliance to map spread of COVID-19 coronavirus
The University of Cambridge is to take a leading role in a major national effort to help understand and control the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) announced today by the Government and the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser.
The BHF Big Beat Challenge
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced its shortlist of four research projects competing for a £30m reward as part of its Big Beat Challenge. International, multi-disciplinary groups of researchers were asked to identify and propose a transformational solution to a significant problem in any heart or circulatory disease. The iMAP team led by Professor Ziad Mallat at the University of Cambridge (UK) has competed with 75 other applicants and is one of four international teams that have been invited to submit a full application.
