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Landmark clinical trial shows benefit of combination treatment for ALS |
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A major international clinical trial co-led by Professor Nigel Leigh at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and Dr Gilbert Bensimon from the University Hospital of Nîmes, has shown encouraging results in the search for more effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.
Published in The Lancet, the MIROCALS trial is the first to investigate the safety and efficacy of combining low-dose interleukin-2 (IL2LD) — a molecule known to regulate the human immune system — with the commonly used drug riluzole. |
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The trial demonstrated that IL2LD is safe, and detailed analysis of the results revealed a statistically significant survival benefit in around 80% of the study participants with lower levels of a specific disease biomarker. In these people, the risk of death at the end of the study was reduced by over 40%.
“This trial provides very promising evidence that IL2LD benefits people with ALS,” said Professor Leigh. “The data and samples from participants are now helping us develop new therapies to further slow disease progression and improve lives.”
The trial, coordinated by BSMS and the University Hospital of Nîmes, involved partners across five countries and was funded by the European Commission and leading health charities.
Read the study in full |
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New exhibition explores culture and counterculture of Sussex art |
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A new exhibition curated by a University of Sussex researcher and celebrating the creativity of artists and writers in the county of Sussex is opening this week at Towner Eastbourne.
The Sussex Modernism exhibition is based on the Sussex Modernism book by Dr Hope Wolf, associate professor in literature and visual culture, and focuses on “how artists harnessed the landscapes, cultures, and histories of their locations to reimagine how art should be made and life lived".
Dr Wolf says: “Sussex is shown to be a place always, and ever in flux. My book brought to light unexpected connections, between Virginia Woolf and David Jones, Ethel Mairet and Gluck, Duncan Grant and Arnold Daghani, Jacob Epstein and David Bowie.”
The exhibits include a celebrated work, Day’s Rest, Day’s Work, created in oil and wax especially for the University by Ivon Hitchens. After six decades hanging on the wall of Mandela Hall in Falmer House, the seven-metre long painting has been cleaned and restored for the new exhibition.
It is featured alongside works that include an Edward Burne-Jones tapestry (1886), a film by Neo-Naturist Jennifer Binnie (c. 1980), and a monumental head carved in stone by Jacob Epstein (1910).
Sussex Modernism is at Towner Eastbourne from 23 May until 28 September 2025. |
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From pests to pollinators: shifting perceptions of bats in Ecuador |
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Professor Fiona Mathews is sharing a surprising discovery from her recent fieldwork in Ecuador — this time, it’s all about bats.
In a village where locals feared all bats were vampire bats, Fiona ran a live workshop to bust the myth — catching nectar-feeding and fruit-eating species that play a vital role in pollination and forest regeneration.
“By the end, people wanted to attract bats, not burn them,” she explains.
Watch the latest video to find out more |
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Comment: Why finding microplastics in nearly a third of earthworms is so worrying |
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By Emily Thrift
When we think of plastic pollution, images of floating debris contaminating our oceans often come to mind. But while the damage to marine ecosystems is well documented, a similar crisis is unfolding on land.
Our latest research reveals that microplastics are alarmingly prevalent in soils and invertebrates across Sussex. They are infiltrating terrestrial ecosystems in ways that could have devastating consequences for both wildlife and food security. |
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In a study of over 580 invertebrate and soil samples from 51 sites, we found microplastics in nearly 12% of invertebrates. Earthworms, slugs, and snails — key players in soil health — showed the highest contamination levels, with up to 30% of earthworms affected. Among soil samples, nearly one-third contained microplastics, particularly in arable and horticultural areas.
These plastics don’t just sit inert in the soil. Laboratory studies have shown that when animals ingest microplastics, it can lead to stunted growth, reduced fertility, and organ damage. Our own work has detected microplastics in the faeces of small mammals like the European hedgehog, suggesting these pollutants are moving up the food chain.
And it’s not just animals at risk. Plants grown in plastic-contaminated soil absorb these particles into their tissues. This disrupts water retention and stunts growth — threatening crop yields and, ultimately, food security.
Other studies across Europe echo our findings. Insect-eating birds such as song thrushes and blackbirds have been found with polyester — the same material used in clothing and upholstery — in their systems. Single-use packaging, gardening materials, and paint are also common sources of contamination.
The solution isn’t as simple as carrying a reusable water bottle or sorting your recycling. We need systemic change. That means holding major polluters accountable, investing in better waste management, and developing truly sustainable alternatives to plastic.
If we continue to ignore the plastic beneath our feet, we risk poisoning the very ecosystems that sustain us.
Emily Thrift is a Doctoral Tutor in Ecology. |
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Could alumna Dr Rosemary Coogan be the first Briton to walk on the Moon?
A new BBC News feature follows Rosemary through a gruelling six-hour underwater "spacewalk" at NASA – a key part of her astronaut training with the European Space Agency.
She grew up on the Sussex campus and later returned to complete her PhD in astrophysics. That journey, she says, gave her the freedom to explore her dreams – and now she’s inspiring others to aim just as high.
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Another BBC News feature explored a global experiment hoping to answer why the universe exists. Sussex’s Dr Kate Shaw said the findings could be “transformative” to our understanding of humanity’s place in the universe.
Sussex research into pollinators featured in Understanding Animal Research and Country Living.
Dr Sergio Rossino explained how bumblebees use taste to detect nutrients, while Professor Dave Goulson shared tips on attracting moths.
Meanwhile, Oceanographic Times highlighted the University’s marine science contributions in a story celebrating the progress of the Sussex Bay coastal conservation project.
Professor Aleks Szczerbiak was quoted in both The Guardian and The Times on whether Poland’s presidential election will mark a break from two-party dominance in Polish politics.
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