The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Edinburgh project aims to find new ways to tackle devastating disease

Stopping cancer cells spreading and hiding in the brain is the focus of a new research project at the University of Edinburgh.

Cancer Research UK is funding the bid to find a way of detecting and preventing glioblastoma cells before they can spread throughout the brain.

Glioblastoma is the most common and deadly adult brain cancer and recurs in around 90 per cent of patients after surgery. It is one of the most difficult cancers to treat due to its location in sensitive areas of the brain.

Surgery is risky, particularly once the cancer begins to spread as the cancer cells are scattered and hidden deep in the brain. This spread of glioblastoma cells in the brain is the main reason the cancer returns after surgery.

However, if these cancerous cells could be targeted by treatments, then outcomes for patients could be improved.

The research team at the Institute for Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh will focus on discovering the mechanics of how the cancerous cells are able to move and escape surgery.

Study lead Dr Alex Loftus, of the Institute for Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, said:

“Glioblastoma is a cancer where new treatments are desperately needed. Until now, the way glioblastoma cells invade the brain and move around it have not been fully understood.

“Our research will focus on the mechanics of how glioblastoma cells relocate throughout the brain so we can spot the beginnings of movement and stop them in their tracks.”        

The team has been awarded £14,656 from Cancer Research UK for the project which will focus on proteins called cell-matrix adhesion proteins which coordinate communication between cells and the environments they live in.

The researchers hope to find new targets for treatment which could be used around the time of initial surgery to ensure fewer cancer cells escape surgery and reduce recurrence rates.

Around 12,500 people are diagnosed with a brain, central nervous system or intracranial tumour in the UK each year* including around 1,100 in Scotland.** With only around 1 in 4 people in the UK surviving their disease for 5 years or more, finding new ways to tackle this type of cancer crucial.*** 

Cancer Research UK’s Director of Research, Dr Catherine Elliott, said: “Glioblastoma is a devastating cancer which affects thousands of people across the UK and sadly there are limited treatment options especially when the cancer returns after initial successful treatment.

“Cancer Research UK is determined to continue to find new ways to tackle glioblastoma which are so desperately needed to improve outcomes for patients.”

 BBC ALBA will broadcast coverage of what could be one of the defining matches of the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) season when champions Hibs travel to play Celtic – with both having made impressive starts to this season’s campaign.

The clash between two of the favourites for the 2025/26 title will be one of three fixtures to be shown on successive weekends by BBC ALBA during September.

Celtic will feature on Sunday 14 September when they make the trip north to face Aberdeen, before they entertain Hibernian a week later on Sunday 21 September.

To complete a hat-trick for the month, BBC ALBA will also broadcast the derby clash between Rangers and Glasgow City on Sunday 28 September.

The multi-year deal, funded by BBC ALBA’s partner MG ALBA, will see the broadcaster continue to bring live coverage of top flight women’s football to viewers across the country until the end of the 2027/28 season, cementing BBC ALBA’s role as the home of the SWPL.

Fiona MacKenzie, BBC ALBA commissioning editor, said: “The battle to win the SWPL already looks like it could go to the wire this season, with Hibs and Celtic making particularly strong starts to their respective campaigns.

“Our partnership with the SWPL supports the continued visibility and growth of the game and the three fixtures BBC ALBA is set to broadcast live in September promise to showcase Scottish women’s football at its finest.”

Watch Aberdeen v Celtic on Sunday 14 September, live or on demand on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer, from 4pm: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jn2c

Celtic will host Hibs on Sunday 21 September, and Rangers will face Glasgow City on Sunday 28 September.

Stars of the hit BBC and Netflix TV series Still Game are heading out on tour, visiting the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday 16^th October.

Following popular demand and a run of sell-out dates in 2024, Auld Pals: An Evening with the Stars of Still Game is taking to the road again for a limited number of performances.

The production features Jane McCarry, Paul Riley, Mark Cox, Sanjeev Kohli and Gavin Mitchell, who played Isa, Winston, Tam, Navid and Boabby the Barman in the award-winning, hit comedy series.

The talented ensemble cast have been entertaining audiences for years, with unforgettable performances in some of TV’s biggest comedy shows including Chewin’ the Fat, The Karen Dunbar Show and, of course, Still Game.

Now audiences can get up close and personal with the show’s cast members for an evening of laughter, entertainment, and Scottish wit as they share personal stories from their careers in entertainment, including memories from their time on Still Game. Fans will even get an opportunity to ask the stars their own questions about the iconic TV show in a Q&A session.

Ahead of the tour, Lee Newton of promoter Red Shoe Entertainment said: “The cast had a brilliant time on the show last year and were incredibly touched by everyone’s support, not to mention all the full houses they received across the UK.

“Since the last show, we’ve been inundated with messages from fans, asking if we can get the show out again and we thought it would be rude to let them down. So, we are very excited to take this spectacular line-up of comedic talent to Edinburgh this October.

Whether you’re a Still Game superfan, or just looking for a good time, this show is not to be missed!”

Listings

Thursday 16^th October

Tickets from £32.50 (Booking fees may apply) – VIP Meet and Greet Tickets Sold Out.

You can book tickets online at: edinburghcornexchange.co.uk  

Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 11 New Market Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1RJ

Climate Action Week Live Lessons 23-30 September

Scotland’s Climate Week is all about working together for a sustainable future. If you are a school or nursery, you can take part in our Live Lessons to learn what’s working and what we can do to move forward together.

Find out more and register:

https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/…/climat…/caw2025/

#ScotClimateWeek

Young apprentices at one of capital city’s biggest employers address business-critical environmental issues through partnership with Powering Futures

Twelve young apprentices from the UK’s largest municipal bus company have successfully completed a groundbreaking 14-week innovation programme, where they have presented solutions to some of the most pressing sustainability challenges facing their place of work.

Lothian Buses, a major employer in the Capital with over 2,600 employees, tasked its young workforce with coming up with sustainable solutions to business operations – including recycling across the Lothian Buses sites, and a campaign to encourage more people to take public transport. 

Designed to complement an apprentice’s working week, the Powering Futures Business Challenge enables participants to use focused time to research the sustainability issue, interview stakeholders, develop a solution, and then present a business case to their company’s senior leadership team.

The bold and creative solutions that were put forward by the Lothian Buses apprentices included behaviour-focused campaigns to boost recycling – like clearer bin signage, visible recycling statistics, and prize incentives – and innovative ideas to encourage public transport use, from eye-catching campaigns on bus rears to AI-driven strategies for showcasing time savings. 

Lothian Buses’ support for the Powering Futures programme is now in its second year, with eight apprentices successfully completing the programme in 2024. 

Dylan Dastey, Engineering Director at Lothian Buses said: “We are delighted to have worked with Powering Futures to take another 12 of our young apprentices through the Workplace Programme. Our Director team was inspired by the fresh thinking and confident delivery from the participants in their superb presentations.

“Having worked with Powering Futures to deliver the workplace programme for a second year, we are hugely impressed by the coaching which encourages participants to shine and celebrate their own individual strengths. It is a great reminder of the value in investing in early careers.” 

Junior Davie (17), Lothian Buses Apprentice and participant in the Powering Futures programme said: “Working together to solve such a big challenge showed me how powerful teamwork can be.

“Once you’ve tackled something like that as a group, you feel more confident taking on whatever challenge comes next.”

The innovation programme was developed and delivered by Powering Futures, a pioneering provider of skills for the future and young workforce. Partnering with businesses to help them solve real-time climate change challenges,

Powering Futures tasks teams of 16-25-year-olds with solving a sustainability problem set by their employer and supports them in coming up with creative solutions through teamwork and climate skills.   

Joseph Trodden, Programme Manager at Powering Futures, said: “When you give young people the tools and trust to tackle real challenges, they deliver smart, practical solutions.

“I was particularly inspired by the campaign ideas around behaviour change. People often want to do the right thing when it comes to recycling and sustainability, these concepts show how we can make it easy, intuitive and even rewarding to take action.”

Scotland’s iconic night-time fundraising event, The MoonWalk Scotland, lit up Edinburgh for the final time on Saturday (6 September). 

Hundreds of women, men and young people wearing brightly decorated bras or colourful “bra t-shirts” set off from Holyrood Park at 10.30pm, to walk a half or full marathon through the capital, to raise money for breast and other cancers.

Glittering light installations showed MoonWalkers the way, with iconic buildings across the Edinburgh skyline also lit up pink in their honour, including: Edinburgh Castle, Camera Obscura, Lloyds on the Mound, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Radisson Blu Hotel, the Balmoral Hotel, and the Stamp Office.

Many walkers also took on a walking challenge virtually, in their own areas.

Organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, Scotland’s MoonWalk has raised an incredible £22 million since it was first staged in 2006.

Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, organisers of The MoonWalk Scotland, said: “It was a night of such mixed emotions.

“The atmosphere in the MoonWalk Arena was absolutely electric – everyone was sparkling and it felt just magical. On the other hand, I know that a lot of people were feeling a little sad, as it was our last MoonWalk in Edinburgh. But as I keep saying, although it was the end of an era, it was also the beginning of something else.

“As well as raising lots of money, I hope that we’ve encouraged lots of people to start walking – we had so many women and men joining us for the first time at The MoonWalk Scotland this year and for them, it will be the start of a brand new adventure”.

Emma Woodhouse, 58, came from St Andrews to take part in her first MoonWalk Scotland, completing the Full Moon (26.2 miles). Emma was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, after a routine mammogram. She said: “Being part of such a diverse group of people united in one endeavour – to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause – was very powerful, inspiring and moving.

“There were some great costumes which really added to the fun atmosphere. I signed up to walk solo, but met up with two other walkers at around mile two. We started to chat and they invited me to join them and so we completed the course together, a lovely and unexpected experience. I wish Walk the Walk huge success wherever the next MoonWalk takes place. You never know, I might just have to do another one.”

Organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, Scotland’s MoonWalk has raised an incredible £22 million since it was first staged in 2006. After 19 years, The MoonWalk will now be going on tour to another city. 

PICTURES: Walk the Walk

Screening could enable earlier treatment and improve life chances

Screening of newborn babies to detect and treat a rare condition which causes progressive muscle wastage will begin early next year.

Scotland will become the first country in the UK to begin national screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which affects movement, breathing and swallowing.

The Scottish Government and pharmaceutical company Novartis will fund a two-year programme to gather evidence on the test’s effectiveness. On average three to four babies a year are born with SMA.

All parents will be offered SMA screening for their newborn babies through the existing blood spot test at five days old.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said:

“This condition can have devastating impacts for babies and their families and this investment demonstrates our commitment to early detection through our screening programme. I would like to thank SMA UK and all the campaigners across Scotland who have worked so hard to highlight this issue as well as Novartis for their funding.

“By detecting SMA before symptoms develop, screening could allow earlier treatment which could lead to much better life outcomes.

“This investment will contribute towards building the case for making this test permanent and help secure the best possible care and support for babies and families.”                                     

SMA UK charity CEO Giles Lomax said:

“We are absolutely delighted to hear the news that the NHS Scotland will be adding SMA to their newborn screening programme in an evaluative and research capacity, with the aim of the first baby being tested early 2026.

“With clinical pathways already established and disease modifying treatments approved, this means those babies born will be treated pre-symptomatically and can therefore, in many cases, follow normal developmental pathways.

The data generated over a 2-year period from National Health Service in Scotland will complement and help contribute to the UK In-service evaluation ultimately helping towards a positive UK NSC recommendation for SMA to be added to the bloodspot programme permanently.

“This is a hugely positive step forward with Scotland joining other countries around the world who already screen for SMA.”

Novartis UK and Ireland Chief Medical Officer Rob Hastings said:

“This is a landmark decision for families in Scotland, offering hope and an opportunity for early detection and access to care for children born with SMA.

“We welcome this progress and continue to support efforts to expand newborn screening across the UK, to ensure every child has the opportunity to be screened and treated for this rare and devastating condition.”

The tests will be analysed at the Scottish Newborn Screening Laboratory on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow. Director and Consultant Clinical Scientist Dr Sarah Smith said:  

“We are pleased to be supporting this important screening evaluation that will benefit babies and their families across Scotland by allowing babies with this condition to access treatment where it is appropriate more quickly, leading to better outcomes.

 “We welcome these plans for SMA to be evaluated as part of our screening programme, allowing for evidence to be gathered on the test’s effectiveness.”