A bit of a mouthful!

Obesity and overweight in England: Are we aging heavier? Is our increasing prevalence of obesity a sign of the times? Or is our generation to blame? We explore potential explanations for the increasing prevalence of obesity and explore how we can tackle England’s growing weight challenge.

Recurrent ulcers in the mouth or other oral diseases are very common. They are often painful and can make everyday tasks like eating difficult, yet current treatment for these conditions is ineffective. This talk will highlight recent advances made at the University of Sheffield where plasters that stick to the wet surface of the mouth have been developed. These plasters not only cover ulcers but also deliver drugs to help them heal and may also be used to deliver other therapies in the future.

Cancer cells talk to each other. One way they speak is with tiny parcels called extracellular vesicles (EV). EVs are so small one hundred thousand could be lined up on one centimetre of a ruler. Like an address label on a parcel EVs have information on their surface. There is even more to see inside. We are intercepting these parcels in spit to find out what mouth cancers have to say. Hear about recent findings by a research team at the University of Sheffield and using EVs as potential tools for head and neck cancer diagnosis, screening and monitoring.