Full-body scans of 100,000 people could change way diseases are detected and treated

UK Biobank project to share 1bn images of organs, blood vessels and bones to help study ageing and ill health

Scientists expect to gain unprecedented insights into human ageing and the earliest signs of disease after scanning 100,000 people from head to toe in the world's largest whole body imaging project.

The completion of the decade-long task means qualifying researchers worldwide will have access to 1bn de-identified images of the hearts, brains, abdomens, blood vessels, bones and joints of volunteers alongside medical histories and rich data on their genetic makeup, health and lifestyle.