Latest news with #UniversityCollegeLondonHospitals
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Health
- Bloomberg
Neuralink Launches Clinical Trial in Britain to Test Brain Chip
Neuralink Corp., Elon Musk's brain implant company, is launching a clinical trial in Great Britain to further test its device that allows people to control computers and other electronics with their brains. The trial will evaluate the safety and functionality of the device in as many as seven patients who have neurological conditions that impair their ability to use electronics, according to an announcement from University College London Hospitals, one of the research sites.
New York Post
21-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Dad with deadly brain cancer that kills in a year is now cancer free after taking new drug
A breakthrough drug is fighting brain cancer head-on. Glioblastoma is widely considered the deadliest form of brain cancer, killing over 10,000 Americans each year. There is no cure for the highly aggressive disease — many patients survive just nine months after diagnosis. 4 Ben Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022 at just 40 years old. Marie Mangan Advertisement Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and extending life via surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible and radiation therapy and chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells. Now, researchers from University College London Hospitals (UCLH) are recruiting glioblastoma patients for a trial of the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab. Sold under the brand name Yervoy, the monoclonal antibody stimulates the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Oncologists are optimistic since a 43-year-old UK father shows no signs of having a tumor — he took ipilimumab before his glioblastoma treatment. Advertisement 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy,' said Dr. Paul Mulholland, the consultant medical oncologist leading the trial. 'We saw with Ben, the one patient recruited to the immunotherapy study, NeAT-GLIO, that he has had clear scans since having the treatment and the tumor hasn't returned more than two and a half years later.' 4 Glioblastoma is widely considered the deadliest form of brain cancer, killing over 10,000 Americans each year. H_Ko – Ben Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022 at just 40 years old. Advertisement Trotman met with Mulholland, who enrolled him in a clinical trial for ipilimumab. He was the first patient in the world — and the only person in the trial — to take the drug before glioblastoma treatment. 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience,' said Trotman's wife, Emily. 'We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live.' Advertisement After taking the drug, Ben underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Two years and eight months later, his scans are clear. 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumor that was initially visible on scans,' Mulholland said. 4 Ben and Emily Trotman wed in 2023, after he began his immunotherapy treatment. Courtesy of UCLH 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumor at bay,' he added, 'and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' In January 2023, months after his diagnosis, Ben married Emily. The couple welcomed a daughter, Mabel, earlier this year. They enjoy taking her for walks along with their rescue dog, Jerry. Advertisement 'We are trying to live as normal a life as possible,' Emily said. 'We are in a unique position of which there is no precedent and which comes with a great deal of uncertainty,' she continued. 'We want to live each day as if it were our last, but we also want to plan for the future, which we hope to have.' Researchers plan to recruit 16 glioblastoma patients like Ben over 18 months. After taking ipilimumab, the trial participants will undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy and perhaps surgery depending on the extent of their disease. Advertisement 4 Dr. Paul Mulholland (left) is pictured with Dame Siobhain McDonagh, who raised funds for the new clinical trial of ipilimumab. Marie Mangan The trial is being funded by Dame Siobhain McDonagh, a member of the British Parliament, whose sister died of glioblastoma in 2023. 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma,' McDonagh said. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory.' Advertisement Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. 'I am delighted that this new trial, with the same immunotherapy drug I received, is going ahead and others will have the opportunity to take part,' Ben said. 'It will give people newly diagnosed with glioblastoma some hope.'
Gulf Today
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
How many children Johnson has still remains unclear
Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson have welcomed their fourth child together, daughter Poppy Eliza Josephine Johnson. Mrs Johnson told her Instagram followers the news with a video posted on Saturday (24 May), revealing that Poppy had been born three days ago. 'I can't believe how pretty and tiny you are. Feel so incredibly lucky,' she said. We are all totally smitten. Not sure I've slept a minute since you were born as can't stop looking at how completely lovely you are.' Mrs Johnson continued to thank the maternity team at University College London Hospitals, in particular 'Asma and Patrick', who 'have looked after me so well through all my pregnancies. I really cannot thank you guys enough.' In 2023, the Johnsons announced the birth of their third child, a son named Frank Alfred Odysseus Johnson. Carrie again shared the news on Instagram, where she revealed that she'd given birth on 5 July 2023 at 9.15am and shared several photos of the newborn. In the caption of the photo, the former political activist revealed the name the couple had chosen, while joking about the middle name her husband picked out for their newborn son. She wrote: 'A week of Frankie. Welcome to the world Frank Alfred Odysseus Johnson born 5 July at 9.15am. (Can you guess which name my husband chose?!) She first revealed the news that they were expecting their third child by writing on Instagram: 'New team member arriving in just a few weeks. I've felt pretty exhausted for much of the last eight months but we can't wait to meet this little one.' Boris Johnson was previously leader of the Conservative Party and won the general election as leader in December 2019. While he dealt with Brexit and the pandemic during his tenure, there were several developments in her personal life too, including marrying Carrie Johnson (nee Symonds ) and having two children together. In December 2021, Boris Johnson and Carrie welcomed their second child. They announced the birth of a 'healthy baby girl' at a London hospital on 9 December and later revealed that they named her Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson. A spokesperson for the couple said at the time: 'Both mother and daughter are doing very well. The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS maternity team for all their care and support.' In July 2021, following the pregnancy announcement, Carrie revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year, and felt 'incredibly blessed to be pregnant again'. Opening up about her miscarriage, Carrie said she had found comfort in speaking to others who had also experienced a similar loss. 'Fertility issues can be really hard for many people, particularly when on platforms like Instagram it can look like everything is only ever going well.' 'I found it a real comfort to hear from people who had also experienced loss so I hope that in some very small way sharing this might help others too,' she said. The couple were engaged in late 2019 and welcomed their first child, a son named Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, in April 2020. They married in an intimate wedding ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in May 2021. While the baby girl was Carrie's second child, Boris is more familiar with the experience of parenthood. During his resignation speech, Boris thanked Carrie and 'all of my children'. However the exact number of offspring the former prime minister has remains unclear. It is believed that the former prime minister has nine children, however, he has not officially confirmed the exact number. What is known is that Boris and his second wife, Marina Wheeler, who separated in 2018, have four children together: Lara Lettice, 27, Milo Arthur, 25, Cassia Peaches, 23, and Theodore Apollo, also has a fifth child, Stephanie Macintyre, who was fathered as a result of an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre. The Appeal Court ruled in 2013 that the public had a right to know that he had fathered a daughter during an adulterous liaison while Mayor of London in 2009. The Independent
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Simple blood test could offer hope to patients with treatment-resistant lupus
Previous studies have shown patients with treatment-resistant lupus who are positive for the biomarker are 17 times more likely to respond to the drugs, which are available on the NHS but not currently used together. As part of a £1.7 million trial – known as Stratify Lupus – experts will test the blood of people with lupus that has not responded to conventional therapies such as steroids or immune suppressants. If they are shown to have the biomarker, researchers will give them either the combination therapy or placebo. Michael Ehrenstein, consultant rheumatologist at University College London Hospitals and professor of experimental rheumatology at University College London (UCL), is leading the research. He said: 'If the results are positive then we would apply to allow patients who are positive for the biomarker to receive the combination therapy on the NHS. 'Targeting the patients most likely to benefit from this treatment should make it deliverable on the NHS and improve patient access and outcomes.' The study will begin in spring 2026 at 16 hospitals across the UK and is expected to finish in 2029. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. Prof Ehrenstein's previous research found a combination of the drugs rituximab and belimumab was able to bring lupus under control, and significantly reduce severe flare-ups in some, but not all, patients. Both drugs are treatment options for lupus patients, but are not used in combination. They are targeted therapies known as monoclonal antibodies. These are lab-produced identical copies of a single type of antibody, which are the proteins produced by the immune system to attack the likes of bacteria and viruses. Prof Ehrenstein's team identified a biomarker in the blood of about half of lupus patients who were resistant to conventional treatment. Known as IgA2 anti-dsDNA, those with the biomarker were 17 times more likely to respond to a combination of rituximab and belimumab compared to rituximab alone. It is estimated that up to 69,000 people in the UK have lupus, which mostly affects women and those of African, Caribbean and Asian descent. It can range from mild to severe, with symptoms including joint pain, skin problems, fatigue and inflammation of major organs. People often take drugs for life, ranging from steroid tablets and injections, or other immunosuppressant or biological medicines. Prof Ehrenstein added: 'To have a positive result in a personalised medicine trial for lupus would be globally significant, not only for the biomarker and treatment combination, but also the success of this targeted approach. 'Everyone talks about personalised medicine, but so far this goal has not been achieved in inflammatory/autoimmune rheumatic diseases. 'Stratify Lupus will be the first biomarker enrichment trial for lupus, which is a real coup for UK research.' The study is being funded by the charity Versus Arthritis and the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, a partnership between the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Professor Lucy Donaldson, director of research at Versus Arthritis, said: 'This major trial holds real promise of a better future for those living with lupus, which particularly affects underserved people. 'Too few advances have been made in tackling the devastating disease which mainly affects women, in particular women of African and Caribbean heritage, in the prime of their lives.'
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Simple blood test could offer hope to patients with treatment-resistant lupus
It is hoped the test, which looks for certain biomarkers in the blood, could help these patients get access to a combination therapy on the health service in the future. Previous studies have shown patients with treatment-resistant lupus who are positive for the biomarker are 17 times more likely to respond to the drugs, which are available on the NHS but not currently used together. As part of a £1.7 million trial – known as Stratify Lupus – experts will test the blood of people with lupus that has not responded to conventional therapies such as steroids or immune suppressants. If they are shown to have the biomarker, researchers will give them either the combination therapy or placebo. Michael Ehrenstein, consultant rheumatologist at University College London Hospitals and professor of experimental rheumatology at University College London (UCL), is leading the research. He said: 'If the results are positive then we would apply to allow patients who are positive for the biomarker to receive the combination therapy on the NHS. 'Targeting the patients most likely to benefit from this treatment should make it deliverable on the NHS and improve patient access and outcomes.' The study will begin in spring 2026 at 16 hospitals across the UK and is expected to finish in 2029. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. Prof Ehrenstein's previous research found a combination of the drugs rituximab and belimumab was able to bring lupus under control, and significantly reduce severe flare-ups in some, but not all, patients. Both drugs are treatment options for lupus patients, but are not used in combination. They are targeted therapies known as monoclonal antibodies. These are lab-produced identical copies of a single type of antibody, which are the proteins produced by the immune system to attack the likes of bacteria and viruses. Prof Ehrenstein's team identified a biomarker in the blood of about half of lupus patients who were resistant to conventional treatment. Known as IgA2 anti-dsDNA, those with the biomarker were 17 times more likely to respond to a combination of rituximab and belimumab compared to rituximab alone. It is estimated that up to 69,000 people in the UK have lupus, which mostly affects women and those of African, Caribbean and Asian descent. It can range from mild to severe, with symptoms including joint pain, skin problems, fatigue and inflammation of major organs. People often take drugs for life, ranging from steroid tablets and injections, or other immunosuppressant or biological medicines. Prof Ehrenstein added: 'To have a positive result in a personalised medicine trial for lupus would be globally significant, not only for the biomarker and treatment combination, but also the success of this targeted approach. 'Everyone talks about personalised medicine, but so far this goal has not been achieved in inflammatory/autoimmune rheumatic diseases. 'Stratify Lupus will be the first biomarker enrichment trial for lupus, which is a real coup for UK research.' The study is being funded by the charity Versus Arthritis and the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, a partnership between the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). Professor Lucy Donaldson, director of research at Versus Arthritis, said: 'This major trial holds real promise of a better future for those living with lupus, which particularly affects underserved people. 'Too few advances have been made in tackling the devastating disease which mainly affects women, in particular women of African and Caribbean heritage, in the prime of their lives.'
