Researchers are studying recovery after bowel cancer treatment in older people, as the REBOUND study looks at ageing changes linked to surgery and care.

The study, Resilience Breakthroughs in Older people Undergoing cancer proceDures, is examining how key “hallmarks of ageing” are affected following bowel cancer treatment in people aged 65 and over.

These are the biological processes that naturally occur as we get older.

The chief investigator and principal investigator of the study, professor Thomas Jackson is professor in geriatric medicine at the University of Birmingham and consultant in geriatric medicine and general internal medicine at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB).

He said: “This is really important work that couldn’t be done without the support of patients agreeing to be in the study.

“We want to understand how the biology of ageing changes when older people have significant events, such as major surgery, and why some people recover well, and others don’t.

“With this understanding, we can identify ways of improving recovery in everyone and maximising the benefits of cancer treatment.”

Researchers at USB, in collaboration with King’s College London (KCL), are leading the study to understand the factors that influence how well older people recover from cancer treatment and to find ways to keep the body strong.

While age is a known risk factor for developing cancer, treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy (which helps the immune system attack cancer), surgery and radiation therapy can trigger processes in the body that resemble ageing.

By understanding how the body responds to cancer treatment, researchers aim to develop new interventions that could prevent or reduce ageing-related changes and improve the number of years spent in good health. The ultimate goal is to help older people with cancer remain active and continue doing the things that matter most to them.

The study involves analysing DNA for age-related changes, examining gut bacteria from stool samples and assessing changes in blood and fat cells.

Samples will be collected at multiple time points before, during and after surgery.

These biological findings will be compared with tests of memory, thinking, strength and muscle function, alongside information from medical records.

The study aims to recruit 172 participants aged 50 years and older who are scheduled to undergo bowel cancer surgery at UHB, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The study opened to recruitment in autumn 2024, and to date, 58 patients have been enrolled.

The project is a collaborative effort bringing together clinicians specialising in the care of older people, surgeons and scientists with expertise in ageing and complex data analysis. It is supported by the Dynamic Resilience programme, funded by Wellcome Leap and the Temasek Trust.

Traditional dal bhat could help curb Nepal’s diabetes crisis, with one in five people over 40 living with type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

With medication often unaffordable, researchers are testing whether cheap, local staples such as lentils and rice can help tackle type 2 diabetes, where blood sugar stays high because the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it properly.

If poorly controlled, type 2 diabetes can lead to complications including kidney disease, limb loss, blindness and premature death.

Dr Ashish Tamang, a resident doctor based in Kathmandu said: “For many families, diabetes is not just a medical condition, but a long-term social and economic burden.”

A pilot study in Kathmandu involving 70 hospital patients with long-established diabetes put 43 per cent into remission after a calorie-controlled traditional diet.

An ongoing trial involving 120 people in villages and communities on the outskirts of cities has shown similar promise.

“It is very early days but around half are free from diabetes at four months, with an average weight loss of only 4 to 5kg,” said Prof Mike Lean, a diabetes and human nutrition expert from the University of Glasgow.

The work is being expanded in a four-year study led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with Dhulikhel hospital in Nepal, which also aims to test whether the diet can prevent type 2 diabetes in people at high risk.

The approach builds on work by a UK team, including Lean, who showed in 2017 that weight-loss diets based on soups and shakes could reverse type 2 diabetes. That programme is now part of standard NHS diabetes care.

People from Asian backgrounds are genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes, meaning they can develop the condition after gaining relatively small amounts of weight. But the same pattern means less weight loss may be needed to reverse it.

Lean said the weight loss needed in Nepal is around half that typically required in the UK, where patients often need to lose 10 to 15kg. ‘It makes the task a fair bit easier,’ he said.

Participants were asked to follow an 850-calorie-a-day plan for eight weeks, typically with yoghurt and fruit for breakfast and main meals of lentils and rice, known as dal bhat.

They then moved to a higher-calorie version of the same diet to help maintain the lower weight.

During screening camps, people found to have diabetes, or to be at high risk, were given a cup, measuring glass and weighing equipment alongside a diet plan to help them stick to portion sizes.

They were also invited to attend regular support group sessions.

The programme was designed to be delivered in communities without the need for doctors or hospitals, supported by the female volunteers who underpin Nepal’s health system.

Trial documents describe a plan that ‘stresses a disciplined (traditional) eating pattern, avoiding snacking and high-fat/sugar processed western-type foods’.

A 2025 study found 87 per cent of packaged foods sold in Kathmandu shops exceeded World Health Organization recommended thresholds for sugar, fat and salt.

Lean said the approach was ‘not rocket science’. But it was ‘way more effective than any drug or medicine, and traditional medicines that don’t do anything’.

He also encouraged participants to switch to brown rice rather than double-milled white rice, which contains fewer nutrients, including lower levels of vitamin B1, which helps the body process carbohydrates.

The expanded study initially won UK government funding but was affected by cuts.

The Howard Foundation has stepped in with £1.78m to keep it going, and the project will also create educational materials on the drivers of diabetes.

Lean blames soaring type 2 diabetes rates in Nepal on the importation of western junk foods.

He said he had spoken to Nepalis who ‘remember the first bicycle arriving in their village’, adding that the bike was carrying sweets and soft drinks, and that improved transport links later brought more junk food.

Lower activity levels linked to technology are also a driver, the study team said.

Lean said officials from neighbouring countries have expressed interest at conferences. ‘If this works in Nepal, it will work for us,’ he said they told him.

Cognition Health and Cera have partnered to expand access to Alzheimer’s clinical trials across the UK.

The collaboration links Re:Cognition Health’s specialist brain health clinics and trial expertise with Cera’s 2.5 million monthly home care visits, creating new pathways to identify and support people earlier in their health journey.

By connecting home care with specialist research centres, the partners aim to offer more people the chance to join studies, giving access to advanced assessment and emerging treatments while contributing to future therapies.

Dr Ben Maruthappu MBE, chief executive and founder of Cera, said: “Many older adults are currently ‘invisible’ to the clinical trials research system because they cannot access traditional clinic-centric recruitment.

“By enabling responsible, consented identification and screening within the home, we can bridge the gap between the community and the clinic.

“We are offering the older generation a seat at the table of global drug discovery, ensuring that the path to a cure starts where they are most comfortable—in their own daily lives.”

Re:Cognition Health has contributed to the development of lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) through international trials, introducing disease-modifying approaches that are reshaping early intervention in Alzheimer’s care.

Older adults remain under-represented in research. NIHR data indicate only about 15 per cent of trial participants are 75 or older, despite high multimorbidity in this group. Dementia trial recruitment in the UK also lags other disease areas.

Through this collaboration, individuals who have not yet accessed specialist memory services can be referred earlier for assessment and potential study participation, with access to new-generation therapies where appropriate.

Cera’s technology-enabled home healthcare model, with daily patient contact and consented data capture, allows timely referral of potential participants from familiar settings to Re:Cognition Health clinics.

Together, the organisations will support earlier and more equitable participation by leveraging Cera’s scale and real-time insights. Carers and nurses deliver visits roughly every second on average, enabling early identification of those who may benefit from memory assessment.

Dr Emer MacSweeney, chief executive and founder of Re:Cognition Health, said: “With one in three people expected to develop dementia in their lifetime, it is essential that we create more inclusive and accessible routes into research.

“This collaboration enables us to extend our reach beyond traditional clinic settings and ensure that people who may benefit from early assessment and research participation are supported to do so.

“Clinical trials offer individuals access to the most advanced diagnostics and emerging treatments, alongside expert medical oversight.

“By identifying people earlier and guiding them through every stage of their journey, we can help improve participants’ experience and potential outcomes, while accelerating the development of the next generation of Alzheimer’s therapies.”