In their recent essay in the open access Journal BMJ (previously British Medical Journal), Dr. Pandora Pound from the School of Social and Community Medicine in Bristol, UK, and Michael Bracken, Susan Dwight Bliss Professor for Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, take a critical look at animal models and their possible transferability to humans.

In May the largest German health study with 200,000 volunteers started work at the Study Centre Hannover. As of October the study will start nationwide.

American scientists headed by Sue O'Shea, professor in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology and director of the U-M Pluripotent Stem Cell Research Lab, and Melvin McInnis, the Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Michigan, have successfully used induced pluripotent stem cells to reveal important genetic background information on bipolar disorders.

An online survey conducted by the non-profit Alzheimer's Research Initiative (AFI) questioning 203 Alzheimer's researchers from seven European countries found that a cure for Alzheimer´s disease is not expected in the foreseeable future.