A healthcare worker recently returned to Glasgow from Sierra Leone has been diagnosed with Ebola, and is being treated in isolation at Gartnavel Hospital. read more

A paper published in the journal Cell has proposed a mechanism for the beneficial effects of dietary restriction seen in yeast, worms, fruit flies and mice, suggesting that it may be applicable to higher organisms. read more

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has looked at the prescription of statins and antibiotics in older adults. They report a modest increase in adverse effects including kidney problems when the two medicines are combined. read more

The first stem cell therapy for use in the European Union has been approved, which will be used for a condition which can result in blindness. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal PLOS Genetics have reported the use of ibuprofen to expand the lifespan of three model organisms: yeast, nematode worms, and fruit flies. They also note changes in cell-cycle, as well as size. read more

A paper published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has examined the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and occurrence of one type of skin cancer, reporting that NSAIDs may have potential for preventing it. read more

Following a review by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), draft regulations on mitochondrial donation have been announced. read more

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has published its report into trends in fertility in the UK. read more

A study published in the journal Emerging Microbes and Infection has examined the use of existing drugs for the prevention of transmission of Ebola. They describe the use of a test to screen for effective drugs, and report the identification of 53 existing compounds which block the entry of Ebola virus-like particles into cells. read more

Researchers publishing in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews journal have analysed randomised controlled trials in which the efficacy of e-cigarettes to aid smoking cessation was analysed. They report that e-cigarettes have a beneficial effect in terms of smoking cessation, and that they found no evidence of a health risk associated with short-term e-cigarette use. read more

The UN is holding a conference in Peru on climate change, with the aim of establishing a new treaty. read more

A technical problem at the UK’s air traffic control centre has caused disruption to flights in and out of the country. read more

A study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens has examined how using small portions of a specific protein can improve the efficacy of the seasonal flu vaccine. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal Open Heart have suggested that it might be sugar rather than salt which has greater effects on hypertension and cardiovascular disease. read more

A paper published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism explored an association between treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes with insulin, and risk of death. They report an increased incidence of mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, and cancer in those treated with insulin, and suggest their results warrant further study. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal PLOS Medicine have studied metabolic markers and changes in weight, reporting variations in these markers with changes in weight, fat level, and BMI. read more

The bodies of a mother and baby who went missing from hospital shortly after the baby’s birth have been found. read more

Researchers studying the effects of the paternal diet of male fruit flies on the metabolic epigenetic and phenotypic profiles of their offspring have published their findings in the journal Cell. They report that short-term changes to sugar intake of the father were able to influence obesity of future offspring. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal Nature have described their work to treat spinal cord injury in mice. They report that by treating the mice with a small portion of a specific protein, they were able to recover function to parts affected by the injury. read more

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said that 2014 is likely to be one of, if not the hottest year on record. This is the case for the UK and on a global scale, and they say that this is in part due to high global sea temperatures. read more