[Image design: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [A number of genes have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease, and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). However, the core biological processes involved in these disorders are extremely difficult to model and this is hampering the effort to develop treatments.

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [Understanding how blood vessels are born and propagated is vital for the treatment of a whole host of diseases including heart disorders, diabetes and cancer.

[Our External Links Service enables links to be created from articles on Europe PMC ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[to free third-party resources that enrich our articles. ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[Since launching the service last July we’ve been joined by providers who have set up links to an ever widening range of useful resources,

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [There is good news for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers: scientists are a step closer to predicting which patients will benefit the most from a particular type of drug using just a urine sample.]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;

[By Elizabeth McAdam, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, UK]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [ ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[Note: Elizabeth ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[was awarded second place in this year’s Access to

[]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;”} [Skin is not the only thing to wrinkle with age. Our genes also show signs of ageing – a process that can lead to cancer.

[By Lucia Aronica, Max F Perutz Laboratories, Austria]{style=“color: #48474c; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;”} [ ]{style=“color: #48474c; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;”} [Note: Lucia won the first ever Access to Understanding People’s Choice award.

[Additional new funders joining Europe PMC further expand the perspective and scope of the resource.]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [ ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Two new funders have today formally announced that they have joined the Europe PMC funders group, and in doing so the outputs of the research they fund will be freely available via Europe

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [Cancer results from an accumulation of mistakes or abnormalities in genes that normally control cell survival, growth and migration. Genes are the instruction manual for our cells, and when these instructions are altered cells may begin to multiply (proliferate) uncontrollably.

[By Clare Finlay, a PhD student at the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Disease, King’s College London]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [ ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Note: Clare was highly commended for her entry. Check back tomorrow to read her brilliant summary on the blog.]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [After centuries of endeavour, scientists and doctors have made great strides towards improving cancer treatment. Nonetheless, while conventional therapy has undoubtedly saved innumerable lives, a worrying number of tumours remain inoperable and incurable by chemo- or radiotherapy.