Οκτώβριος 2013

Innsbruck, 1 October 2013 – Chronic pain syndromes which develop after nerve damage, trauma or surgery are characterized by persistent and severe pain. They induce anxiety and depression and greatly impair patients’ quality of life. One out of five Europeans suffer from chronic pain, many of them for more than two years, some even longer. Chronic pain therefore constitutes not only a heavy burden for individual patients and their families, but also for national health systems in Europe since treatment cost take up 1.5 to 3 % of their gross domestic product (GDP) per year.

Researchers from the University of Oviedo, Spain have constructed mathematical models that allow them to determine how much carbon dioxide can be absorbed by the ten most common species of trees in the Atlantic forests.

Further information: cordis.europa.eu

A European study is pursuing an interesting approach to investigating cancer progression. They are researching various compounds that induce differentiation in normal cells and wish to apply the same approach in cancer therapy.

Further information: cordis.europa.eu

An EU-funded project has successfully established human stem cell-based in vitro tests, which are capable of replicating the development of the human central nervous system. The innovation could lead to the more accurate and efficient testing of drugs, and importantly lead to a move away from animal testing.

Further information: cordis.europa.eu