News in 2022

Patient-specific cancer tumours replicated in 3D bioprinting advance 2 November 2022 Bowel cancer patients could in future benefit from a new 3D bioprinting technology which would use their own cells to replicate the complex cellular environment of solid tumours in 3D models. The University of Bristol-led advance, published in Biofabrication, would allow clinicians to treat the models, known as spheroids, with chemotherapy drugs and radiation to help them understand an individual patient’s resistance to therapies.
Films explain how we can find solutions for a healthier future 1 November 2022 Climate change is one of the biggest health threats facing humanity. It is already affecting our health, and these impacts are likely to increase. A series of short films developed by the University of Bristol’s Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research and Cabot Institute for the Environment explain how the health of our planet is linked to human health, and how research at Bristol will help us to understand these complex and interwoven issues.
Reprogramming of immune cells shown to fight off melanoma 31 October 2022 A new way of reprogramming our immune cells to shrink or kill off cancer cells has been shown to work in the otherwise hard to treat and devastating skin cancer, melanoma. The University of Bristol-led discovery, published in Advanced Science today [31 October], demonstrates a new way to clear early stage pre-cancerous and even late-stage tumour cells.
Boosting physical activity/curbing sitting time highly likely to lower breast cancer risk 6 September 2022 Boosting physical activity levels and curbing sitting time are highly likely to lower breast cancer risk, finds research designed to strengthen proof of causation. The study led by Cancer Council Victoria in Australia, and including the Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, is published online today [6 September] in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Prof Carmen Galán receives the SRUK/CERU Merit Award 2022 17 August 2022 The Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) announced that Prof Carmen Galán, Professor Organic and Biological Chemistry at the University of Bristol, is the winner of the SRUK/CERU Merit Award 2022 for her prolific and outstanding scientific career both in Spain and in the UK.
Mathematical modelling could lead to simple blood test for brain tumours 3 August 2022 University of Bristol research could lead to better detection of the most common type of malignant brain cancer.
Scientists discover genes that affect the risk of developing pre-leukaemia 14 July 2022 The discovery of 14 inherited genetic changes which significantly increase the risk of a person developing a symptomless blood disorder associated with the onset of some types of cancer and heart disease is published today [July 14] in Nature Genetics. The finding, made in one of the largest studies of its kind through genetic data analysis on 421,738 people, could pave the way for potential new approaches for the prevention and early detection of cancers including leukaemia.
The Bristol Cancer Research Network's Early Career Researchers' symposium 27 June 2022 The University of Bristol's Cancer Research Network, supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute, hosted its first symposium dedicated to early career researchers in the Life Sciences Building on 24 June 2022. Jointly hosted with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) West of England, the event showcased the extraordinary and diverse research being conducted by postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, clinical fellows and trainees.
New initiative Bristol Innovations expands potential for transformative research 24 June 2022 The University of Bristol is launching Bristol Innovations, a new initiative that will combine its far-reaching research expertise with the industry know-how of global partners, leading to progressive sector-wide and multidisciplinary discoveries.
New early detection concepts from new teams formed at CRUK’s sandpit workshop 10 June 2022 Cancer Research UK are collaborating with the Medical Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council on an investment into four new research projects taking on the challenge of cancer early detection and diagnosis.
Bristol Network one of six new NHS brain tumour centres awarded Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status 30 May 2022 The Bristol Network, which includes North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, has been recognised as a “Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence” following rigorous expert-led assessments by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM).
Research Excellence Framework results 12 May 2022 The much-anticipated results of the latest UK-wide assessment of university research, Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), have been published this morning (12 May 2022).
International siblings study sheds new light on the nature of the genetics of disease 10 May 2022 Genetic studies aim to find regions of the genome that associate with diseases or other outcomes. A new study has shown that for social traits these genetic effects are due to a mixture of direct effects (e.g. biological effects of DNA), and indirect effects (e.g. family or social environment). Whereas biological traits are mainly driven by direct effects.
“Cancer made me weaker to abuse and abuse made me weaker to cancer” 6 May 2022 The Bristol Cancer Research Network hosted Dr Sandi Dheensa (Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol) on 6 May 2022. She delivered a talk entitled “Cancer made me weaker to abuse and abuse made me weaker to cancer”: Enhancing the cancer workforce response to domestic abuse. Sharing the findings of a professional and victim-survivor consultation.
Excess weight almost doubles risk of womb cancer 19 April 2022 New research shows that lifelong excess weight almost doubles a woman’s risk of developing womb cancer*, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study led by the University of Bristol and published today [19 April] in BMC Medicine**.
Accelerated biological aging may cause bowel cancer 29 March 2022 Scientists have shown how accelerated biological aging measured by an epigenetic clock may increase the risk of bowel cancer, according to a report published today in eLife.
P53 protein plays a key role in tissue repair 10 February 2022 New research led by the University of Bristol has found the protein p53 plays a key role in epithelial migration and tissue repair. The findings could improve our understanding of the processes used by cells to repair tissues, and be used to identify interventions that could accelerate and improve wound repair.
Widely-used hormone drug associated with increased risk of benign brain tumour at high doses 4 February 2022 High doses of a widely-used drug used in the hormonal treatment of conditions such as excessive hair growth, early puberty, prostate cancer are linked to an increased risk of meningioma — the most common type of benign brain tumour, finds a University of Bristol-led study of over 8 million patients. The study is published in Scientific Reports today [4 February].
Bristol-Cardiff joint cancer symposium on DNA repair, metastasis and stem cells 20 January 2022 A joint event by the University of Bristol and Cardiff University was held on 19 January 2022 offered a series of short research presentations to foster closer collaborations between the two institutions and beyond.