Mesothelioma is a type of cancer predominantly caused by breathing in asbestos fibres. However, the disease usually doesn’t develop for decades after exposure. Once diagnosed, the tumours are already at an advanced stage and current therapies have minimal impact on prolonging the life of patients, so there is an urgent...

Research from the Patil group published in Science Advances reveals that parts of the TCA cycle, originally thought to only happen in the mitochondria, are happening in the nucleus, closer to the DNA and ready to be dispatched when critical processes of the cell increase their demand, without barriers.

Common medications can accumulate in gut bacteria, altering bacterial function and potentially reducing the medications’ effectiveness. This study started as a collaborative project at EMBL Heidelberg and was concluded in the group of Kiran Patil after his move to the MRC Toxiciology Unit in Cambridge. Read the full...

Mesothelioma cancer patients may benefit from new research that sheds light onto the reason behind the growth of these tumour cells which, unlike most cancers, have no oncogenic drivers. Scientists from the MRC Toxicology Unit (University of Cambridge) and the CRUK Beatson Institute (University of Glasgow) worked on the...

A recently publised article from Dr. James Thaventhiran's group about the potential treatment effect of remedesvir in COVID-19 patients was chosen as a featured paper by Nature Communiactions. The scientific achivement is highlighted under the topic of "Microbiology and Infectious diseases" in the journal's January issue .

Marion MacFarlane, MRC Investigator and Deputy Director at the MRC Toxicology Unit is the senior author of a new study published in Nature Communications which reveals how ‘Cryo-EM structural analysis of FADD:Caspase-8 complexes defines the catalytic dimer architecture for co-ordinated control of cell fate’. “The core FADD...

Immunotherapy can be a lifesaver for cancer patients, but some patients' tumours don't respond well to this treatment. However, researchers are encouraged by a recent clinical trial that suggests that it may be possible to expand immunotherapy to help more people in the future. Immunotherapy works by marshalling the body's...

Metal particles from the abrasion of brake pads - up to a fifth of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution at roadsides - may cause inflammation and reduce the ability of immune cells to kill bacteria, a new study has found, similarly to particles derived from diesel exhaust. The scientists, primarily funded by the...