RESEARCH - Newcastle, a World Leader in Scientific & Medical Research (Newcastle RESEARCH NEWS)

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle University experts in massive
Parkinson's disease study
by Helen Rae, The Journal, April 16th 2012


Professer David Burn, director of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing and Health

AGEING RESEARCH experts in the North East are helping to lead the fight against Parkinson’s disease in the biggest study ever undertaken in the world into the neurological disorder. Academics at Newcastle University will join forces with other researchers from around the UK with the aim of finding better treatments for the debilitating condition.

Newcastle University’s Clinical Ageing Research Unit is one of the key centres taking part in the Tracking Parkinson’s nationwide study. David Burn, director of the university’s Institute for Ageing and Health and Professor of Movement Disorder Neurology, pictured inset, is spearheading the region’s study. “This is a very welcome and exciting development in the research of Parkinson’s disease and we are delighted to be involved,” he said.

“Newcastle University and the North East has an international reputation for research into age-related conditions and this will compliment our extensive portfolio of research.”


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1sBkawSr6

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by AngerOfTheNorth; December 31st 2009

.
Just a general point - thanks for putting up all of these articles Historian, I often miss these and it's great to see so much brilliant research coming out of Newcastle.

Just noticed this, 2 years and 4 months late !!!

Anyway, the thread doesn't get a lot of feedback (so I don't know how I missed that one!) but I hope people find it interesting to see the amazing amount of great research that goes on here in Newcastle, with some often fantastic results to potentially benefit us all.

We are lucky to have the 'Centre for Life' and 'Newcastle University' generally, plus others.

If nothing else, this thread now forms a definitive record of what has been happening in the Research field (in Newcastle) since 2009 . . .

[Newcastle Historian]

Centre for Life exhibition gives visitors
a taste of life as a Research Scientist
by John Hill, The Journal, April 19th 2012


FOR THE LAST YEAR and a half, the Centre for Life has been developing a new exhibition which allows visitors to get a taste of being a scientist. John Hill talks to special projects manager Andy Lloyd about how Curiosity came to life.

For the last year and a half, Newcastle’s Centre for Life has been working on an exhibition called Curiosity. Its aim is to enable visitors to explore what it is to be a scientist. That means that every one of the exhibits on show will encourage users to discover new things by experimenting, whether that’s on their own or with a group. “It’s about recognising that playing is an important part of how you understand the world,” says Andy Lloyd, special projects manager at the Centre for Life. “Even if you’re a theoretical physicist, it’s actually the same approach intellectually. The Curiosity exhibits are intended to give everybody permission to play.”

When Curiosity opens on May 25, there will be a range of exhibits designed to spark the imagination and get the creative juices flowing. There’s Marble Run, a larger-scale version of a popular children’s game of old which challenges players to construct channels for marbles to run down. And there’s Big Machine, a collection of cogs, levers, pulleys and other mechanisms which can be put together in a variety of ways. Music Box is made up of three tables, and players can make their own melody and rhythm by putting various objects on these surfaces. React-able is a digital musical instrument that you can operate by putting blocks on to a multi-touch screen, allowing you to create sweet music with no previous knowledge or training.

It’s all part of Life’s ongoing evolution from a centre designed to explain the wonders of genetics to a vibrant place that sheds light on the wider world of modern-day science.


Read More - http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business...1140-30791193/

[AngerOfTheNorth]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

Just noticed this, 2 years and 4 months late !!!

Anyway, the thread doesn't get a lot of feedback (so I don't know how I missed that one!) but I hope people find it interesting to see the amazing amount of great research that goes on here in Newcastle, with some often fantastic results to potentially benefit us all.

We are lucky to have the 'Centre for Life' and 'Newcastle University' generally, plus others.

If nothing else, this thread now forms a definitive record of what has been happening in the Research field (in Newcastle) since 2009 . . .

Agreed, on all counts!

[Newcastle Historian]

Potential cure for 'concrete cancer' discovered
by Tony Henderson, The Journal, April 28th 2012


TINY bugs could end up saving huge sums in building costs, claims a North East expert. Northumbria University’s Dr Alan Richardson is working on a Research Project, in which bacteria are mixed with concrete and then produce calcite, a natural material. This blocks pores in the concrete, keeping water out and preventing and sealing cracking, cutting down in maintenance costs and premature replacement of buildings.

Dr Richardson, a senior lecturer in construction in the school of the built and natural environment at Northumbria University, is using a ground-living bacteria which he is feeding with a nutrient broth of yeast, minerals and urea. This mix is then added to the concrete instead of water. The bacteria can multiply and spread in the concrete for 45 days during which their calcite has gone to work.

In 2006 the concrete renewal bill in the UK was £550m. Dr Richardson said: “This project is hugely exciting and will save a lot of money. The potential is there to have a building that can look after itself.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1tK49mY3L

[Newcastle Historian]

Durham University academics in fertility breakthrough
by Helen Rae, The Journal, May 1st 2012


COUPLES struggling to conceive have been given new hope thanks to groundbreaking research by academics in the North East. Scientists at Durham University have helped identify a gene that could improve fertility treatments and the effectiveness of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the future. The team working with scientists from Osaka University in Japan were studying fertility in mice when they discovered that the gene enables sperm to bind to an egg, a process essential to fertilisation.

It is the first time a gene of this type has been linked to fertility and the pioneering research is offering new hope to those having difficulty conceiving. The potential of the research was last night hailed by Dawn and Jason Melling, of Gateshead, who struggled to have children for many years before having IVF to help them conceive their first son, Zak. Dawn, an estate agent, said: “Any kind of breakthrough in fertility treatment if fantastic."

The North East scientists’ nine-year study has so far cost approximately £250,000 and the academics say they are hopeful of getting additional funding to look at how the gene affects sperm-to-egg binding in humans. It is expected that within the next 10 to 15 years clinical trials will have begun.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1tbY8unbA

[Newcastle Historian]

Northumbria University students'
eye app reaches competition final
by John Hill, The Journal, May 1st 2012


A GROUP of North East students developing a system which can spot eye conditions using a smartphone have won the attention of one of the world’s biggest companies. Riccardo Viglianisi, Faizan Asghar and Vimansha Weyhenage of Northumbria University and Colin Squires of Newcastle College have developed the idea of a mobile app which analyses pictures of the human retina, a concept which could potentially save millions from sight loss.

The group – known as Team Eyeworks – has been chosen to represent the UK in the final of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup, an annual competition that challenges students to create technology which solves a major world issue. The overall winner will be chosen at the worldwide final in Australia in July. The team’s victory was part of a one-two for North East entries. Team Teesside 0x32 came second in the UK with its Cloud Doctor idea, which connects healthcare workers in the developing world with specialists and doctors willing to volunteer their time.

Team Eyeworks says the system provides a “cheap, rugged diagnostics tool” that can identify the early symptoms of sight loss at low cost. It is being set up initially to tackle cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that the World Health Organisation says is responsible for 51% of world blindness.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1tbYx1wH2

[Newcastle Historian]

QuantuMDx Group relocates to the North East
by John Hill, The Journal, May 3rd 2012


Professor Sir John Burn, Jonathan O'Halloran, Marie Whitehouse and Simon Green

A HAND-HELD device capable of diagnosing diseases including HIV and tuberculosis within minutes is being developed by a pioneering company that has recently re-located to the North East. QuantuMDx Group is developing DNA diagnostic technology which will allow doctors, nurses and pharmacists to identify complex diseases in less than 20 minutes, as well as gauge the correct drug to prescribe. It hopes to have its first product on the market in around 18 months.

The company moved from London to Newcastle in August, setting up in the Centre for Life.

It has 18 staff, 12 of which are based in the city. However, it is currently looking to add nine scientists with expertise in molecular biology, chemistry and engineering, including six at PhD level. It will also jointly sponsor a number of PhD and MSc posts with Newcastle University. The company’s medical director is Newcastle University’s renowned professor of clinical genetics, Sir John Burn. QuantuMDx also has a presence in the US and South Africa, and is looking at opportunities in Singapore.

Chief operating officer Dr Sam Whitehouse said: “The talent pool we have in the North East is very strong. We’ve recruited PhD students, post-docs and we’ve found some very interesting collaborators. In Newcastle, you’ve got the Centre for Life, university facilities and some world-class people in genetic research.”


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business...1140-30890152/

[Newcastle Historian]

North East Universities picked to research ME
The Journal, May 8th 2012


TWO universities in the North East have been picked to carry out major research projects into the chronic fatigue syndrome ME. Action for ME is today marking the start of a national awareness week by giving out grants totalling £61,000 to Newcastle University, Northumbria University and Sheffield University. The grants were announced following an anonymous £50,000 gift to the charity.

A £25,000 grant will be made to Dr Phil Manning and Prof Julia Newton at Newcastle University for a study looking at treatments for people with ME whose muscles have been affected by the disease. Prof Newton said: “I am absolutely delighted that Action for ME has funded our project. This funding will allow us to more fully understand the muscle abnormalities that occur in people with ME and begin to develop treatments to reverse the abnormalities that we have already seen in our muscle MRI studies. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to push this work forward and we are extremely grateful to Action for ME and their members.”

Meanwhile Dr Jason Ellis at Northumbria University will lead research into how sleep affects ME after getting £11,500 from the grant scheme. He said: “Although we have known that sleep is a significant problem in the lives of people with ME, until now no one has systematically studied the relationship between sleep and daytime fatigue from the patient’s own perspective. Furthermore, we will be doing the most detailed examination of sleep and hormonal functioning ever attempted in this population.”


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1uGQlqgyI

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle University experts get £5m
synthetic biology research grant
by Nicola Weatherall, The Journal, May 29th 2012


RESEARCHERS in Newcastle have been awarded a multi-million pound grant to develop new technology which could lead to breakthroughs for healthcare and the environment. Experts at Newcastle University are playing a leading role in the new project, which has just secured almost £5m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The academics are looking to develop new technology in the emerging field of synthetic biology, with support from research teams at Imperial and Kings Colleges London, plus Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. Professor Anil Wipat, from the university’s school of computing science, is leading Newcastle’s side of the project. He said: “This work builds on ongoing cutting-edge work in the application of computing principles and technology to the design of novel, commercially valuable biological systems.

Newcastle University will play a major role in the project, leading the computational design and the development of industrially relevant bacterial strains. Announcing the grant, Science and Technology Minister David Willetts said: “Synthetic biology could provide solutions to many of humanity’s most pressing issues and at the same time presents significant growth opportunities.

Newcastle University is a centre of excellence for computing science and bacterial cell biology, and has been active in synthetic biology for more than a decade. The university’s synthetic biology focus integrates world-leading expertise from across a wide variety of disciplines including computing science, engineering, maths and molecular biosciences.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1wFGj7ekE

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle Research Scientists trial ‘MOT for donor lungs’
by Dan Warburton, The Journal, May 30th 2012


NEW HOPE has emerged for patients waiting for lung transplants after North East academics revealed a technique to “MOT and cleanse” donor organs. Scientists at Newcastle University have developed a pioneering technique to treat previously unusable donor lungs that were not suitable for operations.

Currently only one in five lungs made available for transplants are judged in good enough condition to be used, now medics are hoping their small-scale research could help plug a shortage in the organs for patients whose lives are blighted by severe breathing difficulties. A pilot scheme has seen eight people successfully undergo treatment with donor lungs that have had liquid nutrients pumped through the organ while they are kept alive with oxygen supplied from a breathing machine.

Last night the academic leading the research said his team had been testing the new “cleansing” process on pig lungs before carrying out the trial at the Freeman Hospital’s Institute of Transplantation. Prof Andrew Fisher, who is leading the research team running the DEVELOP-UK study, said: “One of the challenges that we face is that the donor lung is very fragile and its function deteriorates very quickly. It means that many of the lungs that could be used are nor suitable because the function is not good enough because they are damaged. This research means we can bring the lungs back to the transplant centre and assess the lungs if they can be used.”


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1wL3Hd9d9

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle scientists warn CT scans linked to child cancer
by Dan Warburton, The Journal, June 7th 2012


Dr Mark Pearce, lead researcher at Newcastle University

CHILDREN UNDERGOING life-saving CT scans could triple the risk of developing leukaemia and brain tumours, North East scientists have warned. Research from Newcastle University suggests the use of the 3D X-rays can break-down DNA and damage gene cells to trigger the life-threatening illnesses.

Previously medics have relied on risk estimates drawn from tests on Japanese atomic bomb veterans in the Second World War, which indicated that exposure posed a health risk. Now scientists in Newcastle have studied data on around 180,000 patients under the age of 22 who had CT scans at UK hospitals between 1985 and 2002.

For the first time, research has proven that exposure to radiation from the low-dose scans can escalate the risk of brain tumours and leukaemia by up to three times. Last night Dr Mark Pearce, the lead researcher at Newcastle University, said the scans were a “life-saving tool”, but called for “better justification” for the use of the equipment.

Dr Pearce said: “What we’ve been looking at is whether there is a potential cancer risk in children and young adults who have CT scans. “We’ve found significant increased risks of brain tumours and leukaemia in line with the number of doses of radiation from the scans. The scans have been around since the early 1970s, but up until now no one has been able to study this in the way that we have. This is the first study using empirical data."


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[Talisker]

It's turned out a lot better than I'd expected it would. At least the dosimetry has been worked out properly. But the decision to limit the study to leukaemia and brain tumours is hugely disappointing and a missed opportunity. The research doesn't 'prove' anything. We cannot tell that the increases in cancer are due to the CT scans, and not something else. You have to ask whether someone who has had a CT scan before 22 could be considered 'normal'. It's difficult to tell if the increase was related to the scan itself or the reason why the patient had the scan (i.e. confounding by indication). It's another interesting piece of research to add to the list of good but ultimately inconclusive studies.

[Newcastle Historian]

New rheumatoid arthritis drug trialled at Freeman Hospital
by Helen Rae, Evening Chronicle, June 8th 2012


TENS of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have been given new hope that a drug first trialled on Tyneside could halt their disease. The antibody drug tocilizumab was almost four times more likely to halt progression of the debilitating condition than the most widely prescribed alternative, results from a clinical trial have revealed. The drug also achieved significantly greater reduction in disease signs and symptoms after just six months.

Scientists compared tocilizumab with another drug, adalimumab. The drugs were tested on a group of 326 patients unable to take the mainstay treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate (MTX). MTX is ruled out for roughly a third of patients, many of whom suffer unbearable side effects such as vomiting, hair loss and mouth ulcers. Currently, such individuals generally move on to drugs which target a molecule called tumour necrosis factor that causes inflammation.

Tocilizumab works in a completely different way by targeting another inflammatory protein. The drug has been trialled at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital and Prof John Isaacs, a rheumatology expert from the University of Newcastle, has been actively involved in the development of tocilizumab.


Read More - http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...#ixzz1xHpM2hZW

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Talisker

It's turned out a lot better than I'd expected it would. At least the dosimetry has been worked out properly. But the decision to limit the study to leukaemia and brain tumours is hugely disappointing and a missed opportunity. The research doesn't 'prove' anything. We cannot tell that the increases in cancer are due to the CT scans, and not something else. You have to ask whether someone who has had a CT scan before 22 could be considered 'normal'. It's difficult to tell if the increase was related to the scan itself or the reason why the patient had the scan (i.e. confounding by indication). It's another interesting piece of research to add to the list of good but ultimately inconclusive studies.

Hi Talisker, are you involved in this research?

That must be very interesting. Anything that you can add to this "Research carried out in Newcastle" thread, would be gratefully received.

Obviously, we get most news (on this thread) via the Local Media, but if there is other information floating around, that can be used and would increase this thread's pool of facts from other media sources, then it would be great to see it.

[Talisker]

No I'm not involved in this specific research project although it is my main area of interest. I'm currently doing some research with the university of Leeds on the risk of developing a second cancer after radiotherapy for a primary cancer. Radiation is known to cause cancer, but it is also very useful in treating it. Sort of a 'hair of the dog' situation, really. The risks are quite low - about 1 in 70 for prostate radiotherapy - much lower than the risk of not treating the cancer properly!

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle University scientists make breakthrough which could help epilepsy sufferers
by Coreena Ford, The Journal, June 16th 2012


SCIENTISTS at Newcastle University have made a breakthrough in the study of epilepsy which could lead to improved treatments for sufferers. Research has uncovered electrical patterns of the brain which may help predict when a patient is going to start an epileptic seizure.

The team, led by Dr Mark Cunningham and Professor Miles Whittington, have revealed their findings after studying electrical brain patterns for more than two years, as part of a project started in 2006. Now they plan to continue their work, in the hope of being able to one day help sufferers who, at present, don’t respond to medical treatments.

Dr Cunningham, senior lecturer in Neuronal Dynamics at Newcastle University said: “We are very excited about the work and we feel it’s important work, but we still have lots to do. It’s a small step but an important one. The brain produces electrical rhythms and using EEG – electrodes on the scalp – researchers, who are supported by the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research, were able to monitor the brain patterns in patients with epilepsy."

Both in patients and in brain tissue samples the team witnessed an abnormal brain wave, noticeable due to its rapidly increasing frequency over time. The team compared the patterns to a musical ‘glissando’ – an upwards glide from one pitch to another – and found this brain rhythm is unique to humans.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1xwjIytmp

[Newcastle Historian]

Drugs firm strengthens presence in North East
by Ruth Lognonne, The Journal, June 23rd 2012


THE arrival of an emerging drugs firm in Newcastle has strengthened the region’s growing presence in the biopharmaceutical industry. Glythera, which specialises in the development of biological therapeutics and vaccines, has moved from Bath to Newcastle’s INEX incubator facility, after winning a £600,000 investment.

The firm, a spin-out from the University of Bath, secured the money from venture capital firm IP Group and its managed fund, the Finance for Business North East Technology Fund.

Glythera’s relocation has led to the creation of new research and development positions in Newcastle, including the appointment of Dr David Simpson as chief operating officer.


Read More - http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business...1140-31243110/



Newcastle's reputation as a City to base Medical Research in seems to be continually strengthening. Here, reported earlier in this thread, is another (recent) relocation to Newcastle . . .

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian; May 3rd 2012, Research Thread

QuantuMDx Group relocates to the North East
by John Hill, The Journal, May 3rd 2012


Professor Sir John Burn, Jonathan O'Halloran, Marie Whitehouse and Simon Green

A HAND-HELD device capable of diagnosing diseases including HIV and tuberculosis within minutes is being developed by a pioneering company that has recently re-located to the North East. QuantuMDx Group is developing DNA diagnostic technology which will allow doctors, nurses and pharmacists to identify complex diseases in less than 20 minutes, as well as gauge the correct drug to prescribe. It hopes to have its first product on the market in around 18 months.

The company moved from London to Newcastle in August, setting up in the Centre for Life.

It has 18 staff, 12 of which are based in the city. However, it is currently looking to add nine scientists with expertise in molecular biology, chemistry and engineering, including six at PhD level. It will also jointly sponsor a number of PhD and MSc posts with Newcastle University. The company’s medical director is Newcastle University’s renowned professor of clinical genetics, Sir John Burn. QuantuMDx also has a presence in the US and South Africa, and is looking at opportunities in Singapore.

Chief operating officer Dr Sam Whitehouse said: “The talent pool we have in the North East is very strong. We’ve recruited PhD students, post-docs and we’ve found some very interesting collaborators. In Newcastle, you’ve got the Centre for Life, university facilities and some world-class people in genetic research.”


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business...1140-30890152/

[growly grace]

Is it me or is that the thing that Dr McCoy and Nurse Chapel used?

[growly grace]

yup it's a tricorder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricorder