- 2024
- Press releases - 10.04.2024
Respiratory allergies: newly discovered molecule plays a major role in triggering inflammation
One of the molecules responsible for triggering the inflammation that causes allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, has just been discovered by scientists from the CNRS, Inserm and the Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier. This molecule, from the alarmin family, represents a therapeutic target of major interest for the treatment of allergic diseases.
- Press releases - 20.03.2024
A study on the pre-COVID-19 health of French citizens to help decision-makers reduce the disease burden
In order to implement suitable public health policies, it is crucial to know the health status of the population and its evolution over time. This knowledge is all the more important given the severe disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to healthcare systems worldwide. For the first time, a study by teams from Inserm, Université de Bordeaux and Bordeaux University Hospital in collaboration with Santé publique France, French National Health Insurance (CNAM) and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study collaborators, provides an overview of the health of French citizens just prior to the 2019 pandemic, and its evolution from 1990 to 2019.
- Press releases - 14.03.2024
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a new avenue for improving patient diagnosis and follow-up
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Charcot’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that results in progressive paralysis and subsequent death. Diagnosing it is difficult and no curative treatment exists to date, making these challenges for research. In a new study, Inserm researcher Caroline Rouaux and her team at the Strasbourg Biomedical Research Centre (Inserm-Université de Strasbourg), in collaboration with researchers from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, CNRS and Sorbonne Université, show that electroencephalography could become a diagnostic and prognostic tool for the disease. Thanks to this type of examination, the scientists were able to reveal an atypical brain wave profile that could prove to be specific to the disease.
- Press releases - 12.03.2024
Physical and mental well-being of older adults: a positive impact of meditation and health education
A team from Inserm and Université de Caen Normandie, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Jena (Germany) and University College London (UK), has studied the potential benefits of meditation and health education interventions in people who feel that their memory is in decline. This research was performed as part of the European H2020 Silver Santé Study programme coordinated by Inserm . It shows that learning mindfulness meditation improves self-compassion, while health education promotes an increase in physical activity.
- Press releases - 11.03.2024
A promising vaccine against Nipah virus infection
The WHO recently classified the Nipah virus (NiV) as one of the eight main emerging pathogens likely to cause major epidemics in the future. In a context where no treatment or vaccine is yet available, a team comprising researchers from Inserm (Unit 955-VRI) and from the Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) is presenting the preclinical results of an innovative vaccine against this virus.
- Press releases - 06.03.2024
The brain mechanisms behind our desire to dance
Why does some music make us want to dance more than others? This is the question that a research team from Inserm and Aix-Marseille Université tried to answer by studying the desire to dance (also called the ‘groove’) and the brain activity of 30 participants who were asked to listen to music. Their findings show that the groove sensation is highest for a moderately complex rhythm and that the desire to move is reflected in the brain by an anticipation of the music’s rhythm.
- Press releases - 26.02.2024
Improving the treatment of anaemia thanks to a new discovery in iron metabolism
Anaemia is a major public health problem worldwide, affecting around one third of the population. Its causes are multiple, but the most common are a lack of red blood cell production, a lack of iron in the blood, and genetic diseases such as thalassaemia. A better understanding of iron metabolism is essential to improve the care of the many patients affected.
- Press releases - 20.02.2024
Obesity: opt for omega 3 fatty acids to prevent the associated risks
Obesity is a major public health problem, affecting around 650 million adults worldwide, and is often associated with systemic and cerebral inflammation as well as anxiety and cognitive disorders, such as memory deficits. In a new study, researchers from Inserm, CNRS and Université Côte d’Azur at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology tried to understand more precisely how diet can cause obesity, and its associated comorbidities.
- Press releases - 19.02.2024
New cell senescence discoveries open up therapeutic avenues in fighting age-related diseases
Cell senescence is a physiological process that has been associated in many studies with age-related diseases. Yet the biological mechanisms of senescence and how it could constitute a relevant therapeutic target in fighting these diseases remain poorly understood. In a new study, scientists from Inserm, Université Paris Cité and CNRS at the Necker Enfants Malades Institute have identified metabolic modifications, i.e. changes in how energy is used by the cells, associated with senescence.
- Press releases - 13.02.2024
The consumption of certain food additive emulsifiers may increase the risk of cancer
Emulsifiers are among the additives most widely used by the food industry, helping to improve the texture of food and extend its shelf life. Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris Cité and Cnam, as part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), have undertaken to study the possible links between the dietary intake of food additive emulsifiers and the development of cancer. They analysed the health data of 92 000 adults participating in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study, specifically evaluating their consumption of this type of food additive.