European Union News - Research & Innovation

A team of British researchers discovered that the SAMHD1 protein prevents the virus from replicating itself within these cells, paving the way for development of drugs that imitate this biological process to ensure that HIV cannot replicate in the sentinel cells of the immune system.

The Competitiveness Council reached an agreement on the launching of a Joint Programming in research. This programming includes five initiatives on Healthy and Productive sea and Oceans, Challenges and Solutions of an urban Europe, Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe, Water Challenges for a Changing World and the Microbial Challenge.

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group launched a new guarantee facility for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help them access finance from banks. The new scheme, the so-called SME risk-sharing instrument (RSI), will be managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF).

The European Commission has put forward its proposal for the new European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 that will run over the period 2014-2020. The programme, which proposes a series of initiatives to boost investment in research and innovation, will represent an investment of 80 billion Euro. Facilitating access to finance, encouraging the participation of SMEs and reducing administrative burdens are some of the objectives set by Commission's proposal.

The Council has invited Member States to raise awareness on the importance of culture and recognition of relevant actions and disseminate best practice among policy makers, cultural and educational entities, enterprises and non-governmental organisations at national, regional and local level on the role that development of cultural and creative competences can have.

Researchers from Belgium and Germany have published new data on how vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is instrumental in regulating skin cancer stem cells. The findings reveal a dual role for this molecule in the promotion of skin cancer stem cell growth and tumour progression, which may have significant implications for the prevention and treatment of various skin cancers.

The EECALINK project has as priority fostering stronger health research relations between the EU and the Eastern European and Central Asian countries (EECA). In order to accomplish such objective, it is targeting three key stakeholders: policymakers, university and academic partners, and the wider research public.

The European Commission revealed its action plan against antimicrobial resistance which includes 12 concrete actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the Member States. The measure has been taken because about 25,000 patients dying per year in the EU from infections caused by drug resistant bacteria.

The European Research Council (ERC) has celebrated a symbolic milestone with the awarding of the 2000th ERC grant. It has been granted to Dr. Matthew Holt, who will join the VIB Department of Molecular and Developmental Genetics at K.U. Leuven, Belgium, in January 2012.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published its Annual epidemiological report in which underlines as major findings the continuous high numbers of tuberculosis cases, the developing epidemic of measles, antimicrobial resistance, ongoing transmission of HIV and lessons learned from the pandemic of 2009 and 2010.

New populations of breast stem cells that guarantee the creation, expansion and maintenance of the diverse cell lineages of the mammary gland during pregnancy and throughout life have been identified by European scientists. According to the researchers, this discovery opens new avenues to uncover the cells at the origin of the different subtypes of breast cancers.