news 2025

Posted on: 08 September 2025 An early phase clinical trial published in Nature Medicine show that patients with mesothelioma - a rare cancer of the lining of the lung - who received a combination of two immunotherapy drugs before surgery had successful surgeries and encouraging early outcomes Results from an early phase clinical trial presented this week at the World Conference on Lung Cancer Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, and published in Nature

The seismic activity generated by Taylor Swift's sold-out concerts in Dublin in July 2024 provided a unique opportunity for scientific engagement and education, according to the authors of a groundbreaking new study. Geophysicist Eleanor Dunn from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies hit the headlines in July 2024 with her #SwiftQuakeDublin project studying the seismic activity generated by Taylor Swift's concerts in Dublin.

Posted on: 02 September 2025 Scientists from Trinity have discovered that electrically stimulating "macrophages" - one of the immune system's key players - can "reprogramme" them in such a way to reduce inflammation and encourage faster, more effective healing in disease and injury. This breakthrough uncovers a potentially powerful new therapeutic option, with further work ongoing to delineate the specifics.

Scientists discover how genetic mutations drive Weaver syndrome, with implications for overgrowth disorders and cancer risk Scientists have discovered how mutations in a specific gene drive the rare developmental disorder Weaver syndrome, which is marked by intellectual disability and overgrowth and predisposes people with the condition to cancer.

Mutations in a single gene are the driving factor behind Weaver syndrome, a rare disorder associated with overgrowth, intellectual disability, and higher cancer risk. In a co-lead study between University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, researchers uncovered how mutations in the EZH2 gene upsets critical cellular processes.

A new study has revealed that multiple sclerosis could be halted by targeting cells that react to the Epstein-Barr virus. Dr Éanna Fennell, a postdoctoral researcher at University of Limerick, was among the research team involved in this study, who are based at the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zürich.

Posted on: 18 August 2025 A new comprehensive atlas of cells fills gaps in knowledge on how different cells in the intestine act together to drive coeliac disease, potentially opening new avenues for future therapeutic intervention Coeliac disease is a long-term autoimmune condition that affects about 0.5% to 1% of people.

A new study has revealed that work-family conflict (WFC) is a common contributor to psychological distress among farmers in Ireland, with researchers calling for enhanced mental health support for farming families. The study, 'Between the Farm and Family: A Cross-Sectional Survey on Work-Family Conflict in Farmers in Ireland', was conducted by researchers from UCD and DCU, and is the first research to examine work-family conflict specifically in Irish farmers.

A study of the Liverpool boycott of The Sun newspaper following the Hillsborough disaster has found that the boycott shaped people's perceptions of political parties and made people more left wing. The study focused on the famous and longstanding Liverpool boycott of The Sun newspaper after it blamed the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium crush on Liverpool F.C. supporters.

Misinformation clouds the memory of both accuser and accused in sexual assault cases, research finds Credit: AtlasComposer/Envato Elements A new study suggests both defendants and complainants are equally prone to memory distortions in sexual assault cases. Challenging long-held assumptions about how memory distortion should be understood in the courtroom, this research delivers compelling evidence that both the accused and the complainant in "he said, she said" cases are equally susceptible to memory errors.

A new approach to analysing gravitational-wave data could transform the scientific understanding of black holes. A collaborative team of researchers from the University College Dublin , University of Portsmouth, and University of Southampton have introduced a more accurate means to interpreting these ripples in spacetime caused by colossal cosmic events, such as black holes colliding.

A new study redefines healthy aging as an environmental, social, and political phenomenon, and calls on public health strategies to expand beyond lifestyle prescriptions to address structural inequalities and governance deficits. The groundbreaking international study of 161,981 participants across 40 countries, published in Nature Medicine today reveals that air pollution, social inequality, and weak democratic institutions substantially accelerate aging.

A new study by researchers at University of Limerick has identified an increased risk of mental health issues for young carers. According to the study, which has just been published in the prestigious The Lancet Public Health journal, over time caring increased young people's risk of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin are assessing how the development of spinal ligaments provide mechanical stability and impact postural support in the spine - with a view to better understanding how developmental "missteps" may contribute to spinal deformations, such as the characteristic curved spines that develop in people with scoliosis.

The exoplanet - TWA 7 b - is similar in mass to Saturn, and around 10 times lighter than anything we have previously been able to image from afar. Exoplanets are key targets in observational astronomy, as they help better understand how planetary systems form, including our own. While thousands have been detected indirectly, obtaining images of exoplanets represents a genuine challenge.

Analyses of over 40,000 documents, computer vision papers and downstream patents spanning four decades indicates the extent of this surveillance and the rise of obfuscating language that helps to normalise such approaches. New research has underlined the surprising extent to which pervasive surveillance of people and their habits is powered by computer vision research - and shone a spotlight on how vulnerable individuals and communities are at risk.

A comparative study shows that marine worms shattered their genome and rebuilt it in a radically different form when they first emerged from the sea 200 million years ago. The identified "genomic disorder" mechanism, similar to the one observed in cancer development in humans, could shed light on the evolutionary origin of terrestrial biodiversity and contribute to human health.

The discovery will help scientists now explore the important role of "queuosine", a microscopic molecule first discovered in the 1970s, in cancer and human health. An international team of scientists, co-led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Florida, has cracked a decades-old mystery in human biology: how our bodies absorb a micronutrient that we rely on for everything from healthy brain function to guarding against cancer.

Astrophysicists have gained precious new insights into how distant "exoplanets" form and what their atmospheres can look like, after using the James Webb Telescope to image two young exoplanets in extraordinary detail. Among the headline findings were the presence of silicate clouds in one of the planet's atmospheres, and a circumplanetary disk thought to feed material that can form moons around the other.

Study marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against antimicrobial resistance, a global public health threat A new groundbreaking large-scale research study from University of Limerick marks a major milestone in the battle against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global public health threat that could add a trillion US dollars to worldwide healthcare costs over the next 25 years.