In this issue:

‘Brilliant boost’ for bowel research

Every 72 hours, a baby is born in the UK suffering from Hirschsprung’s disease — a life threatening bowel obstruction, usually diagnosed within days of birth.

Blind from birth

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is an inherited disease which usually causes total blindness from birth.

Code breakers

An Action Medical Research team has been unlocking the secrets of the Huntington’s disease genetic code.

Finding the right food

We all know how vulnerable very premature infants are to infection, but what Dr Kempley and his colleagues are asking is, do feeding practises play any part in triggering disease?

Key findings for diabetes

You may remember reading about a very successful Action Medical Research project which pointed to viruses as the cause of Type 1 diabetes? The team has continued to build on these findings and has recently announced a vaccine trial aimed at preventing this condition.

Model behaviour

Liver fibrosis, or cirrhosis, is caused by the build up of scar tissue in the liver due to repeated damage from a chronic disease process.

Mums might breathe easier thanks to Action Medical Research

Can a woman’s lack of oxygen during sleep affect the growth of her unborn baby? The theory is being investigated by a team at Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust.

New test for mitochondrial DNA diseases

Mitochondria are the essential ‘powerhouses’ found in every body cell, where energy-producing reactions take place.

Potential new treatment for osteoarthrirtis

Over eight million people suffer from osteoarthritis in the UK and the numbers affected increase with age.This degenerative disease can cause severe pain and restricted movement in the joints and there is no satisfactory treatment. Pain relief, and for severe cases, joint replacement, are the only answers. It costs the country millions of pounds every year in NHS expenses and employers also lose thousands of working days to the condition.

Preterm labour

Instinctively we all respond to the vulnerability of babies, and none are more vulnerable than those born extremely prematurely. Normal gestation is 37-42 weeks, but babies can be born and survive as early as 23 weeks.

Recovering the power of speech

Aphasia affects around a quarter of all stroke sufferers, and means they experience problems with speaking or understanding what is said to them, or both. As a result, even the simplest daily tasks, such as shopping or making a phone call, may be difficult or impossible.

Repairing spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries are a major cause of paralysis and disability. In the UK alone there are more than 45,000 people with such injuries, and another 1,000 cases are diagnosed each year.

Tools for living

How Action Medical Research helped develop a range of aids to assist disabled and elderly people with everyday tasks.