Stop the clocks: Brisk walking may slow biological ageing process

Brisk walkers have up to 20 years’ greater life expectancy compared to slow walkers

22-Apr-2022 - A new study of genetic data of more than 400,000 UK adults has revealed a clear link between walking pace and a genetic marker of biological age. Confirming a causal link between walking pace and leucocyte telomere length (LTL) – an indicator of biological age – the Leicester-based team of ...

Deciphering the 'mosaic' of the brain

Discovery sheds new light on how neurodegenerative diseases might occur

11-Apr-2018 - Researchers from the University of Leicester have shed new light on how neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur. The team, led by Dr Joern Steinert from the MRC Toxicology Unit ...

Air pollution can alter effectiveness of antibiotics

07-Mar-2017 - Air pollution can change the way bacteria behave and can change their potential to cause disease Interdisciplinary research discovers new mechanism of how air pollution is detrimental to our health and well-being Developing megacities with extreme levels of air pollution are major risk factors ...

Mysteries of enzyme mechanism revealed

30-Nov-2016 - An international research team led by the University of Leicester has made a breakthrough advance by trapping an intermediate in the mechanism of enzymes called heme peroxidases and determining its structure using a beam of neutrons from the heart of a nuclear reactor. The Leicester team members ...

New findings challenge current view on origins of Parkinson's disease

24-Jun-2016 - The neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson's disease is a result of stress on the endoplasmic reticulum in the cell rather than failure of the mitochondria as previously thought, according to a study in fruit flies. It was found that the death of neurons associated with the disease was ...

New study creates first 3-D vision of cancer target

27-Jan-2016 - A team from the University of Leicester has for the first time published a detailed description of a protein linked to many types of cancer. The lab-based study from the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology now provides an opportunity for scientists to develop drugs to target this protein. Dr ...

Study identifies new way to kill the malaria parasite

Discovery could pave the way to new treatments for the disease

09-Jul-2015 - Scientists have discovered new ways in which the malaria parasite survives in the blood stream of its victims, a discovery that could pave the way to new treatments for the disease. The researchers at the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Toxicology Unit based at the University of Leicester and ...

Breakthrough study discovers 6 changing faces of 'global killer' bacteria

Researchers unlock vital new information to improve vaccinations against pneumococcus infection

02-Oct-2014 - Every ten seconds a human being dies from Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, also known as pneumococcus, making it a leading global killer. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Leicester in collaboration with international experts have unlocked a genetic switch ...

Scientists create new 'designer proteins' in fight against Alzheimer's and cancer

Chemistry breakthrough that advances drug discovery is 'stuff of dreams'

26-Sep-2014 - Chemists at the University of Leicester have reported a breakthrough in techniques to develop new drugs in the fight against diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. The team has developed an innovative process allowing them to generate a particular type of synthetic amino acid – and a particular ...

Revolutionizing blood pressure measurement

New technology will lead to better treatment decisions and better outcomes for patients

21-Feb-2011 - In a major scientific breakthrough, a new blood pressure measurement device is set to revolutionise the way patients' blood pressure is measured. The new approach, invented by scientists at the University of Leicester and in Singapore, has the potential to enable doctors to treat their patients ...