Our hearing is one of the wonders of the human body which is all too often taken for granted. Like many things in life, we don't really appreciate our ability to hear clearly until we begin to lose it. As we age, our ability to discern sounds begins to deteriorate. Therefore, new innovative therapies to guard the hearing of patients are eagerly sought after.

The objective of the Drug Check project is to validate an on-line, pan-European service, which gathers, organises, stores, makes available and presents information and data covering pharmaceuticals and their interactions.

Physicians now have a "trusted environment" where they learn the way they learn best - from each other - with launch of Ozmosis, a verified, physicians-only online information exchange dedicated to the discovery and sharing of medical knowledge and the improvement of patient care.

Belfast company launches video based e-learning site for healthcare professionals in partnership with leading UK professional bodies. An innovative video based website that can help doctors, dentists and pharmacists polish up on their professional skills whenever and wherever they want has been launched by Northern Ireland based company, StreamOn.

A new, EU-funded project will investigate membrane proteins with the aim of finding new treatments for a range of diseases. Membrane proteins are responsible for transporting chemicals and messages between the inside and outside of cells, and they are vital for every process in the human body. Defective membrane proteins have been implicated in a range of human diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, depression, osteoporosis, stomach ulcers and cataracts.

The EU-funded project GenderBasic has developed a number of recommendations for the improved integration of sex and gender differences in health-related research. Scientists must be aware of these differences at all stages of their studies, from the research content itself to the processes and methods employed in clinical trials, says project coordinator, Dr Ineke Klinge of the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

Counterfeiting of medicinal products has become an increasing threat for patients, healthcare professionals and industry and a concern for EU and national policy-makers. The Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry is consulting all stakeholders and interested parties on key ideas for amending the regulatory framework for medicinal products in an effort to combat the counterfeiting of medicinal products.