Latest news with #Durrant
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists are using living human brain tissue to study Alzheimer's on their hunt for a cure - and experts are expecting a breakthrough
British scientists have used the tissue of a living human brain to mimic the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, in a study which will boost the search for a cure. The team from the University of Edinburgh used the healthy brain tissue from living NHS patients and exposed it to a protein linked to Alzheimer's, from patients who passed away from it. In a stunning scientific leap, researchers unlocked a rare chance to watch dementia take hold in human brain cells and experts believe this game-changing method could fast-track drug testing and crank up the odds of finally finding a cure. The study involved using tiny fragments of healthy brain tissue from cancer patients while they underwent routine surgery to remove tumours at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Once the pieces were collected, they were put into glass bottles with oxygenated artificial spinal fluid and taken into labs where they were sliced into thin pieces, less than a third of a millimetre thick and were kept in incubators to replicate the body temperature. Scientists then took the deadly amyloid beta straight from the brains of Alzheimer's victims and unleashed it on healthy brain tissue in the lab and watched as the disease developed. It was found that the brain did not try to repair the damage caused by the toxic protein, and even small changes were enough to disrupt brain cells. This will help scientists in their race to find a cure to the disease, and according to the leader of the experiment, it is bringing the scientific community 'one step closer' to finding a cure for it. Dr Claire Durrant said: 'We believe this tool could help accelerate findings from the lab into patients, bringing us one step closer to a world free from the heartbreak of dementia. 'These findings are a testament to the incredible support of my funders and the hard work of my team members Dr Robert McGeachan and Dr Soraya Meftah, who led on the experiments.' Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, founder of Race Against Dementia, which has supported Dr Durrant's laboratory since 2019 said: 'It's a horrendous reality that as things stand, one in three people born today, will die with dementia. 'Someone develops dementia every three seconds – and we still don't have a cure. I created Race Against Dementia to challenge this awful disease in the fullest sense. 'Our collaboration across industries allows us to think more keenly and faster, and the breakthrough that we have achieved shows what is possible when science moves faster, with new tools and fresh thinking. 'Our unique program is enabling us to test potential treatments which are bringing us closer to a world without dementia. I am sure that for you, like me, that cannot happen soon enough.' Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh said: 'This important work by Dr Durrant's team brings a new tool to scientists' toolbox to better understand Alzheimer's disease and how to treat it. 'The use of living human tissue samples generously donated by people undergoing surgery to remove brain tumours allows scientists to probe how living human brain reacts to toxic proteins produced in Alzheimer's, and in future will allow testing of whether new treatments are effective in human brain. 'This cutting-edge study is an example of how the UK Dementia Research Institute is at the forefront of global efforts to understand and treat Alzheimer's.'
The Guardian
30-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Living human brain tissue used to mimic Alzheimer's in breakthrough study
Scientists have used living human brain tissue to mimic the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, in a breakthrough that will accelerate the hunt for a cure. In a world first, a British team successfully exposed healthy brain tissue from living NHS patients to a toxic form of a protein linked to Alzheimer's – taken from patients who died from the disease – to show how it damages connections between brain cells in real time. The groundbreaking move offered a rare and powerful opportunity to see dementia developing in human brain cells. Experts said the new way of studying the disease could make it easier to test new drugs and boost the chances of finding ones that work. Dementia presents a big threat to health and social care systems across the world. The number of people affected is forecast to triple to nearly 153 million by 2050, which underlines why finding new ways to study the disease and speed up the search for treatments is a health priority. In the study, scientists and neurosurgeons in Edinburgh teamed up to show for the first time how a toxic form of a protein linked to Alzheimer's, amyloid beta, can stick to and destroy vital connections between brain cells. Tiny fragments of healthy brain tissue were collected from cancer patients while they were undergoing routine surgery to remove tumours at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Scientists dressed in scrubs were stationed in operating theatres alongside surgical teams, ready to receive the healthy brain tissue, which would otherwise have been discarded. Once the pieces of brain were retrieved, scientists put them in glass bottles filled with oxygenated artificial spinal fluid before jumping into taxis to transport the samples to their lab a few minutes away. 'We pretty much ran back to the lab,' said Dr Claire Durrant, a Race Against Dementia fellow and UK Dementia Research Institute emerging leader at the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. There, samples were sliced into thin pieces, less than a third of a millimetre thick, and laid out in small dishes. Each piece of living brain tissue was kept in a nutrient-rich liquid, inside an incubator at 37C to mimic body temperature. 'And then we start experiments almost straight away,' Durrant said. Fragments of human brain were kept alive in dishes for up to a fortnight, with the patient's permission. Researchers extracted the toxic form of amyloid beta from people who died from Alzheimer's disease and then applied it to the healthy living brain tissue in their dishes. 'We're trying to mimic Alzheimer's disease,' said Durrant. Unlike when exposed to a normal form of the protein, the brain did not attempt to repair damage caused by the toxic form of amyloid beta, her team found. Even small changes in natural levels of amyloid beta – increasing or decreasing – were enough to disrupt brain cells. This suggests that the brain requires a finely tuned sweet spot of the protein to function properly, Durrant said. 'Working alongside the neurosurgical team at the University of Edinburgh, we have shown that living human brain slices can be used to explore fundamental questions relating to Alzheimer's disease,' she said. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'We believe this tool could help accelerate findings from the lab into patients, bringing us one step closer to a world free from the heartbreak of dementia.' The breakthrough will enable scientists to home in on drugs with the best chance of preventing the loss of synapses – connections that allow the flow of messages between brain cells and are vital to healthy brain function. Alzheimer's attacks synapses and their loss strongly predicts reduced memory and thinking abilities. Durrant's team also found that brain slices taken from the temporal lobe, a region known to be affected early in Alzheimer's, released higher levels of tau, another key disease protein. This may explain why this part of the brain is particularly vulnerable in early Alzheimer's, as increased tau release may enable toxic forms of this protein to spread faster between cells. The research was backed by Race Against Dementia, a charity formed by Sir Jackie Stewart after his wife's dementia diagnosis, and a £1m donation from the James Dyson Foundation, a charity supporting medical research and engineering education. Dyson said the breakthrough represented progress 'towards solving one of the most devastating problems of our time'. 'Working with brain surgeons and their consenting patients to collect samples of living human brain and keep them alive in the lab is a groundbreaking method,' he said. 'It allows researchers to better examine Alzheimer's disease on real human brain cells rather than relying on animal substitutes, such as mice.' Prof Tara Spires-Jones, group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute, hailed the important development. Seeing early Alzheimer's in real-time provided a new tool for scientists to better understand the disease and how to treat it, she said. She said: 'The use of living human tissue samples generously donated by people undergoing surgery to remove brain tumours allows scientists to probe how living human brain reacts to toxic proteins produced in Alzheimer's, and in future will allow testing of whether new treatments are effective in human brain.'
Zawya
15-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Brighton College Abu Dhabi welcomes Mr. Barney Durrant as Head Master for 2025
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Leading British curriculum school, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Barney Durrant as its new Head Master. Mr Durrant officially began his role in April 2025 and will lead the school into its next exciting chapter, building on its exceptional academic standing and strong sense of community. Brighton College Abu Dhabi recently celebrated its best-ever A-Level and GCSE results and was rated 'Outstanding' in all categories by British Schools Overseas (BSO) in 2024. With a 'Very Good' ADEK rating and a strong foundation of academic success, Mr Durrant's appointment signals the next phase of growth and innovation for the College. With over two decades of experience in British and international education, Mr Durrant joins Brighton College Abu Dhabi from his most recent position as Head of St Lawrence College in the UK, where he led the school for five years. Under his leadership, the school was shortlisted for Student Wellbeing in the prestigious Independent School of the Year Awards. Prior to this, he spent eight years at Harrow International School Hong Kong, serving as Principal Deputy Head. Earlier in his career, he spent fourteen years at the highly regarded Stowe School in the UK, further establishing his reputation as a dedicated and forward-thinking educational leader. Mr Durrant is a passionate educationalist with a strong commitment to academic excellence, pastoral care, and holistic education. He believes in preparing pupils for the demands of the 21st century while nurturing their full potential – academically, socially and emotionally. His values are closely aligned with Brighton College's ethos of kindness, curiosity and confidence. A regular speaker at international conferences, Mr Durrant has championed the link between wellbeing and academic success throughout his career. Mr. Durrant holds a BA (Hons) Degree from the University College London, a PGCE from Cambridge University, and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Nottingham. Commenting on his new appointment, Mr. Durrant said, 'It is an honour to join Brighton College Abu Dhabi as Head Master, working alongside our outstanding sister schools in Al Ain and Dubai. Brighton College Abu Dhabi holds a special place in the Capital, consistently performing as the top school for A-level and GCSE results. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the warmth of the community and the energy across the campus. The culture of kindness, curiosity and confidence is evident in everything our pupils do – and reflects the values I care most deeply about in education. I'm looking forward to working with our talented staff and supportive parents to ensure every pupil is challenged, inspired, and supported to achieve their very best – not just academically, but as confident, compassionate young people ready for the world beyond school.' Mr. Craig Lamshed, General Manager, Brighton Colleges UAE commented, 'We are delighted to welcome Mr Barney Durrant to Brighton College Abu Dhabi. His extensive leadership experience and commitment to holistic education make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the College through its next phase of growth. At Bloom Education, we are proud to support a school community that consistently achieves academic excellence while placing kindness and wellbeing at its core. Mr Durrant's appointment reflects our shared vision for delivering an outstanding British education that prepares pupils to thrive in a rapidly changing world.' For further media inquiries, please contact: Plus 1 Communications / madhu@ About Brighton College Abu Dhabi Brighton College Abu Dhabi is rated 'Very Good' by ADEK and stands as one of the top British-curriculum schools in the Middle East, catering to pupils aged 3 to 18 years old. Operated by Bloom Education, the school consistently delivers exceptional academic results, offers a wide array of co-curricular activities, provides outstanding pastoral care and fosters a strong sense of community at its core. Recognised as one of the 'Top 10' private schools in the Middle East in the 2024 Spear's Schools Index in partnership with Thuso, Brighton College Abu Dhabi is part of the renowned Brighton College family of Schools and serves as the sister school to England's 'School of the Decade' (The Sunday Times). Pupils at Brighton College Abu Dhabi experience a vibrant and demanding learning environment, underpinned by a distinct British independent school ethos that mirrors the values and dynamic culture of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. Situated in a purpose-built campus adjacent to Khalifa Park, the school features state-of-the-art facilities and is staffed by highly experienced and talented academic and support staff, maintaining the exceptional standard of education upheld by other Brighton Colleges worldwide. Brighton College Abu Dhabi equips its pupils with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve excellent GCSE and A-Level results, ensuring that its alumni secure placements at leading universities across the globe. The Class of 2023-24 held over 100 offers from Russell Group Universities and went on to study at universities including Exeter, Manchester, UCL, Leeds, Durham and King's College London. Beyond the UK pupils attend prestigious institutions including Berkley, Dartmouth, UCLA, Purdue, University of Toronto, University of Geneva and Rome University of the Arts. The school's consecutive recognition as the 'British School of the Year' by LUXLife Private Education Awards in both 2022 and 2023 underscores its ongoing success. Bloom Education, a Bloom Holding subsidiary, delivers the highest standards of a British curriculum education in the UAE and is committed to inspiring its pupils to appreciate and value local heritage and cultural diversity. About Bloom Education Bloom Education supports the development of future generations through partnerships with world-class international education brands, owns brand schools and nurseries, and the operation of UAE Charter Schools and New Generation Schools. A pioneer in the Middle East education sector for more than 14 years, Bloom Education has introduced and operated leading American, English and International Baccalaureate curriculum education brands in the UAE market and has provided exceptional educational experiences and opportunities to more than 20,000 students. The partner of choice for international school brand Brighton College, Bloom Education has been entrusted to deliver and sustain the highest international standards locally and has been selected by Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) to operate the Abu Dhabi Charter Schools programme. Bloom Education has also been chosen by Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) to operate schools in the Northern Emirates, as part of the 'Ajyal' (new 'generation') school initiative. With a keen focus on providing the best educational opportunities to help craft better futures for the youth of the UAE, Bloom Education launched its first 'own-brand' premium IB school, Bloom World Academy, in Dubai in August 2022. The school has introduced many firsts in the UAE, such as Learning Achievement Passports (LAP), individual learning pathways and the later start time of 9am, allowing for students' learning to be in balance with family life. Bloom Education's opportunity-rich environments allow it to nurture its community of students so they can reach their highest potential – intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally and their success is reflected in the high quality of their graduates who continue their studies at leading universities around the world, including Ivy league and Russell Group. As the population grows and the world becomes more competitive, Bloom Education's focus continues to be on discovering the world's best education brands whilst expanding its portfolio of premium own-brand schools and nurseries. Additionally, it continues to maintain high standards of operation in ADEK and ESE government schools. This strategic focus enables Bloom Education to provide world-class educational opportunities to an ever-increasing number of students. For more information, please visit
The Independent
01-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Sophie visits dementia research lab founded by F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited a dementia research laboratory founded by Formula 1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. Race Against Dementia was founded by Sir Jackie in 2016 after his wife Helen was diagnosed, to apply 'an F1-mindset' to dementia research. Sophie is the charity's patron and visited its laboratory in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Neuroscience. The charity unites scientists and industry leaders to 'fuel fresh thinking and relentless innovation' to tackle the condition, which affects a third of adults in the UK. Sophie toured the Dyson RAD Dementia Research Acceleration Project Lab, where Dr Claire Durrant and her team are investigating the causes and consequences of synapse loss in Alzheimer's disease. Dr Durrant works with live human brain slice cultures – tiny pieces of brain tissue which would otherwise be discarded during routine neurosurgical procedures – and partners with Dyson engineers at the technology firm's base in Wiltshire for further analysis. Researchers demonstrated a high-powered multiphoton microscope, which captures detailed images of how Alzheimer's affects brain cells in real time. When even greater resolution is needed, specialist equipment at Dyson's research and design centre in Wiltshire – normally focused on battery technology – is used to help analyse brain samples at the atomic and molecular level. This partnership, forged by Race Against Dementia, brings industry expertise to the front line of dementia research, and along with funding their researchers receive training inspired by the high-performance mentality found in Formula 1. Dr Durrant, Race Against Dementia-Dyson fellow, said: 'Every three seconds, someone develops dementia. 'We're working to close that gap – using live human brain cultures and advanced imaging to better understand how Alzheimer's takes hold. 'The more we uncover, the better our chances of stopping this disease.' Early findings suggest that even subtle shifts in amyloid beta peptides trigger synapse loss and prompt repair – insights set to be explored further in an upcoming research paper. Sophie also met other Race Against Dementia-funded researchers, including Dr Bhuvaneish Slevaraj, Dr Fergus Doubal and Maija Pyykkonen, who are focused on repurposing existing drugs to treat frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia. The duchess was welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, councillor Robert Aldridge; Lydia Beaton, interim chief executive of Race Against Dementia and Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New bill ‘goes too far,' says Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant in letter to lawmakers
SALT LAKE CITY () — In an unprecedented move, Chief Justice Matthew Durrant of the Utah Supreme Court hand-delivered a letter on behalf of the Judicial Council — which represents the state's courts — to the Utah Legislature, openly opposing a bill that would impact retention elections. The bill — 'Judicial Retention Changes' — would to recommend to voters through their ballots which judges should be retained and which should be removed. In the letter — delivered on behalf of the 16-member council to the House Speaker, Senate President, and sent to all legislators — the council said the bill would erode public trust and confidence in the decisions of the Judiciary. Separation of powers? Bill to create lawmaker panel for recommending judicial retentions advances 'This will happen regardless of the intent of any individual legislator on the committee and regardless of how careful committee members are in their review of a judge,' wrote Durrant. 'The possibility of a negative recommendation from the committee will be viewed by the public as an incentive for judges to make politically palatable decisions rather than decisions that are required by the law.' READ NEXT: 7 key ways the Utah legislature could change the judiciary The bill's sponsor, Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R-Syracuse), has argued, however, that voters need more information on retaining judges. She said it was within the legislature's purview to decide how that happens, pointing to Utah's constitution, which reads, 'judicial retention elections shall be held on a nonpartisan ballot in a manner provided by statute.' 'The idea that the judiciary is completely independent of the legislature is simply false,' Lisonbee said. Durrant's letter said that the council was not disputing that. 'In opposing HB 512, and other bills that may have the impact of undermining the independence and integrity of the Judiciary, the Judicial Council is not suggesting otherwise,' it reads. 'Rather, the Judicial Council asserts that HB 512 goes too far by intervening in the core functions of the judiciary and poses a substantial threat to the Judiciary's ability to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.' Durrant's letter said the bill would only serve to incentivize judges to act in their own self-interest, rather than upholding their oath to the rule of law. He argued voters have more objective information about judges than any other person on the ballot as judges are subject to a 'thorough, rigorous, unbiased review by the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.' Legal professionals protest against bills that seek to reshape Utah's judicial branch These evaluations – which are – he said do not try to influence voters, but provide relevant and objective information. 'The citizens of Utah deserve a Judiciary that is guided by the rule of law, not by political considerations. The Utah Constitution establishes a Judiciary in which judges are free to decide cases based on the law and the facts, without regard for the identities of the litigants or political consequences,' wrote Durrant. The judicial council's dissent of H.B. 512 comes on the heels of urging lawmakers to reject a handful of bills that would reform Utah's judiciary. Over the last year, Utah lawmakers have also expressed their disappointment in Utah's judiciary after several Utah Supreme Court summer rulings went against the legislature. These rulings included voiding and from the November 2024 election ballot, as well as to move forward in the lower courts. Top lawmakers respond House Speaker Mike Schultz, (R-Hooper), who has been highly critical of the high court's rulings against the legislature, seemed to defend the bill and said that 'healthy debate and reform do not undermine democracy — they strengthen it.' 'The Utah Constitution assigns the legislature the responsibility to review and adjust many aspects of both the executive and judicial branches,' he said in a statement to ABC4. 'We welcome and encourage all to make their voices heard on this, and other important issues.' Lindsay Aerts contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
