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Author: Louise Stanley

Researchers make mini ‘bone-marrow-in-a-dish’ to test cancer treatments

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Experimental medicine.

Scientists from BHP and Oxford University have made the first bone marrow ‘organoids’ that capture the key features of human bone marrow. The technology, for which University of Birmingham Enterprise has filed a patent application, will allow for the screening of multiple anti-cancer drugs at the same time, as well as testing personalised treatments for individual cancer patients.

A study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, describes the new method; a process resulting in the production of an organoid that faithfully models the cellular, molecular and architectural features of myelopoietic (blood cell producing) bone marrow.

The research also showed that the organoids provide a micro-environment that can enable the survival of cells from patients with blood malignancies, including multiple myeloma cells, which are notoriously difficult to maintain outside the human body.

First author Dr Abdullah Khan, a Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow at BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham, said: “Remarkably, we found that the cells in their bone marrow organoids resemble real bone marrow cells not just in terms of their activity and function, but also in their architectural relationships – the cell types ‘self-organise’ and arrange themselves within the organoids just like they do in human bone marrow in the body.”

A cross section of a mini bone marrow organoid, showing cells that produce blood platelets, in a network of blood vessels. Credit: Dr A Khan, University of Birmingham

This lifelike architecture enabled the team to study how the cells in the bone marrow interact to support normal blood cell production, and how this is disturbed in bone marrow fibrosis (myelofibrosis), where scar tissue builds up in the bone marrow, causing bone marrow failure. Bone marrow fibrosis can develop in patients with certain types of blood cancers and remains incurable.

Senior study author Professor Bethan Psaila, a haematology medical doctor as well as a research Group Leader at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, said: “To properly understand how and why blood cancers develop, we need to use experimental systems that closely resemble how real human bone marrow works, which we haven’t really had before. It’s really exciting to now have this terrific system, as finally, we are able to study cancer directly using cells from our patients, rather than relying on animal models or other simpler systems that do not properly show us how the cancer is developing in the bone marrow in actual patients.”

Dr Khan also added: “This is a huge step forward, enabling insights into the growth patterns of cancer cells and potentially a more personalised approach to treatment. We now have a platform that we can use to test drugs on a ‘personalised medicine’ basis.

“Having developed and validated the model is the first crucial step, and in our ongoing collaborative work we will be working with others to better understand how the bone marrow works in healthy people, and what goes wrong when they have blood diseases.”

Dr Psaila added: “We hope that this new technique will help accelerate the discovery and testing of new blood cancer treatments, getting improved drugs for our patients to clinical trials faster.”

Two BHP members deepen collaboration to improve health provision

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Birmingham Health Partners.

Aston University and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (BWC) – both members of BHP – have deepened their strategic relationship by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop paediatric health initiatives.

The MoU also aims to develop the health services workforce of the future together, with a specific focus on course development and delivery, including placements. It will invest in shared posts that enable closer links between academia, education and healthcare provision, while also supporting honorary appointments and initiating collaborative projects to develop world-leading research and provision in the field of paediatric health and wellbeing.

Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-chancellor, Raffaela Goodby, BWC Chief People Officer (front row) sign the MoU, accompanied by colleagues from both organisations

The partnership will make the most efficient use of resources and reduce duplication by providing a range of shared services, as well as continuously developing new ways to work together, with a view to supporting innovation in the field of healthcare.

These activities will build on the existing joined up work taking place between Aston University and BWC via BHP, such as shared use of the MRI scanning services in the Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment and joint research projects examining topics including epilepsy in children, eating behaviours and neurodevelopment.

Professor Anthony Hilton, pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University, said: “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding formalises the existing relationship between our two organisations and represents a strong joint commitment to improving healthcare provision in our city.

“Working collaboratively enables us to bring together world-leading research with outstanding clinical provision, for the benefit of our students, patients accessing BWC services and our city and region. I look forward to developing the many ways in which our organisations can work together to improve healthcare provision in Birmingham.”

Matthew Boazman, deputy chief executive officer of BWC, said: “The partnership between BWC and Aston University represents a wonderful opportunity for us to ensure that Birmingham has access to world-class healthcare provision and that those entering the workforce are as ready as they can be.”

Birmingham partnership creates next generation of childhood cancer researchers

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Birmingham Health Partners.

A groundbreaking local partnership has been announced in the UK’s fight against childhood cancer. Two BHP founder-members – Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and the University of Birmingham – have joined forces with The Azaylia Foundation to create the next generation of leaders in childhood cancer, collectively committing over £560,000 to co-fund two clinical PhDs in paediatric oncology.

Five new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed every day, yet it receives less than 3% of all cancer research funding. This much-needed investment into the Azaylia Childhood Cancer PhD Fund will provide expert clinicians with the opportunity to undertake groundbreaking, world-class research into the early diagnosis of childhood cancer and more importantly find new and kinder treatments to improve survival rates.

Professor Pamela Kearns, Professor of Clinical Paediatric Oncology at University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “We’re delighted to have funded the first two Azaylia childhood cancer clinical PhD scholars in paediatric oncology, thanks to an outstanding gift of over £280,000 from The Azaylia Foundation, which has been match-funded by University of Birmingham and Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. Parents always want to know, ‘why did my child get cancer?’ and ‘can you cure my child?’ we are now in a strong position to extensively research the answers to these questions.”

Mark Brider, CEO of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Research into childhood cancer is essential to improve survival rates and discover safer treatments. It is an honour to partner with both our friends at University of Birmingham and The Azaylia Foundation to co-fund these much-needed paediatric oncology clinical PhD roles. Our collaboration will help create the next generation of leaders in childhood cancer and positively change the experiences and outcomes for our brave patients and families.”

Dr Anindita Roy, a trustee for The Azaylia Foundation and Associate Professor of Paediatric Haematology at the University of Oxford, added: “Paediatric oncology clinician scientists are rare. The Azaylia Childhood Cancer PhD Fund is a hugely positive step in facilitating change as now those who have seen first-hand the devastating realities faced by young cancer patients will be able to take their insights and ideas into the laboratory and then back into clinical practice.”

The launch of the Azaylia Childhood Cancer PhD Fund celebrates the one-year anniversary of The Azaylia Foundation, a charitable organisation created by ex-footballer Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee following the tragic passing of their daughter, Azaylia Diamond Cain, of leukaemia in April 2021. The Azaylia Foundation’s immediate ambition is to help fund up to 10 clinical PhDs across the UK within two years.

Safiyya Vorajee, left, and Ashley Cain, right, with members of the BWC paediatric oncology team

“Born well, live well, die well” – BHP publishes report of activity 2020-2022

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Birmingham Health Partners.

Following the expansion of its membership with three new partners, BHP has published its first report of activity covering September 2020 to August 2022.

Download the Birmingham Health Partners Report of Activity 2020 to 2022 pdf (4MB)

In publishing this report for our member institutions, stakeholders and influencers in the West Midlands and further afield, BHP highlights its progress in aligning the strategic objectives of its NHS and university partners to address major health challenges faced by the Midlands region and beyond.

Ed Smith, BHP’s chair, commented: “Our starting point has been to create a values-based partnership with key organisations in the city-region that allows us to deploy our research, innovation and healthcare capabilities to deal with major health issues. The problems encountered by the large socially- and ethnically-diverse population of the Birmingham region are similar to those faced nationally and globally, with health inequalities – driven by social determinants – leading to multimorbidity and chronic physical and mental ill-health.

“To address such deep-seated problems, it is increasingly recognised that we need health science clusters, based in large regional populations, that harness research and innovation to patient care. By integrating shared capabilities unselfishly and collaboratively, BHP is forming a powerful regional cluster to address health inequalities while also driving economic development – thereby contributing to both UK and global knowledge-based outcomes.”

Professor David Adams, Director BHP, added: “We hope that readers of this report will understand both the role played by BHP and the opportunities the partnership provides to support health innovation in our region. We aim to enhance the endeavours of individuals, teams and organisations by focussing on collaborating across institutional boundaries.

“As this report sets out, we have made substantial contributions over the last year including on training, funding, and health data and digital delivery. We are also proud of our convening role which brings together wide-ranging multidisciplinary expertise to deliver research that matters for our population and which promotes a wider innovation landscape.”

    Download the Birmingham Health Partners Report of Activity 2020 to 2022 pdf (4MB)

    Single-stranded suture threads could prevent pregnancy infection complications, finds C-STICH trial

    Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Clinical trials, Maternal health.

    Women at risk of pregnancy loss who need a specialist surgical procedure are at a lower risk of infection if the procedure is carried out using a single-stranded suture thread, results from the C-STICH clinical trial found.

    The trial was the largest of its type and is published in the Lancet. It involved more than 2,000 expectant mothers who needed a procedure called a cerclage, where a purse string suture is placed around the cervix (the neck of the womb) during pregnancy. Women were randomly allocated to have the surgical procedure performed using either a single-stranded thread or a braided thread.

    Researchers tested whether there would be any difference in miscarriage or stillbirth, due to an increased risk of infection, from using a braided suture thread. The research, funded by the NIHR, demonstrated that single-stranded sutures could potentially improve outcomes for mothers at risk of preterm birth.

    The team led by researchers from Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospitals (BWC) and the University of Birmingham – both founder-members of BHP – found that the mothers treated with single-stranded threads had no differences in pregnancy loss or preterm birth but reported fewer instances of infection and sepsis. This could have important implications for the health outcomes of mothers and babies who are treated with a cervical cerclage in their pregnancy.

    Dr Vicky Hodgetts-Morton, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Women’s Hospital explained the implications of the trial results. Dr Hodgetts-Morton said:

    “Preterm birth is a significant problem, complicating approximately one in ten pregnancies around the world. The consequences of preterm birth may be significant with some babies being born too early to survive, and those that survive are at increased risk of health complications. One cause for preterm birth is cervical insufficiency, occurring in 0.5% to 1% of pregnant women for which the placement of a vaginal cervical cerclage can be an effective treatment.

    “Suture thread choice has the potential to improve how well a cerclage works in preventing miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm birth. Both single stranded and braided threads are commonly used to perform cerclages and our findings show no differences in pregnancy loss and preterm birth. The C-STICH trial results did show an increased risk of infections in labour and around the time of delivery with braided threads and this supported our hypothesis that a single stranded thread could reduce the risk of infection developing during the pregnancy.”

    Mr Philip Toozs-Hobson, Chief Investigator of the C-STICH project and Consultant Gynaecologist at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital said:

    “We are extremely grateful to all the women who trusted us by taking part in the study and also the dedication of the research teams at of the 72 maternity units who made the trial happen. Our aim, as ever, is to improve women’s experience in pregnancy through safer childbirth and to help the NHS achieve their target of reducing both pre-term birth and cerebral palsy. This work has added to our understanding relating to infection and sepsis.”

    The study also highlighted that while single stranded suture threads led to better outcomes around infection, clinicians mentioned that such suture threads were subjectively more difficult to remove and more often required surgery to help remove under a general anaesthetic.

    brain scan

    £35.4 million funding boost for brain and mental health research

    Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Mental health.

    The University of Birmingham is part of a significant programme to deliver innovative treatments and therapies in brain health thanks to a £35.4 million award.

    The award, made to the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, is part of a package of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) for Biomedical Research Centres (BRC) and the Oxford Health BRC is one of just two centres in the country currently wholly dedicated to mental health.

    The University of Birmingham is a partner in the programme, along with fellow BHP member the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, and the second city’s mental health trusts.

    Thematic areas of research – including depression therapeutics, mental health in development with a focus on children and young people, psychological treatments and brain technologies – can now be advanced by leading scientists, clinicians and academics who are linked via a network of centres of excellence in brain health.

    These include NHS organisations and universities complemented by collaborations around the globe. Together they will make it possible to directly translate research into potential new treatments, diagnostic tests and medical technologies for NHS patients.

    Professor Matthew Broome, Director of the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Birmingham said: “Birmingham is a young and diverse city with high levels of deprivation and mental health morbidity. This important investment will support discovery science in emerging and established mental illness, offer our population the benefits of new therapeutic advances for depression and psychosis, and lead the development of a clinical data analysis pipeline for new brain imaging technologies.

    “This collective expertise will help improve our mechanistic understanding of health and illness, and will prioritise the experiences of young people throughout, working closely with them and their communities to support their flourishing and wellbeing.”

    “It builds on the success of the current centre which has, over the past five years, delivered new psychological and digital treatments, advances in drug discovery and new ways of integrating research and clinical care.

    “The new award now provides us with a wonderful opportunity to transform care for mental and brain health and wellbeing across the whole country and, actually, the world. We can now translate the best research from UK biomedical science, data science and engineering, social science and arts and the humanities for the benefit of clinical care and population health.

    “We are enormously grateful to the NIHR and the International Panel for both understanding and generously supporting our ambitious plans and vision. We are now looking forward to co-designing with patients and the public powerful new approaches that can be tested, refined and then implemented across the NHS and beyond.”

    What are the new Oxford Health BRC themes?

    The 11 themes all have extensive scientific collaborations between Oxford Health BRC and academic and NHS site across the country. They are

        • Better Sleep (with the University of Surrey) will exploit new sleep and circadian science to develop, test, and translate innovations to improve health.
        • Brain Technologies (Birmingham and the University of Surrey) will deliver brain technologies for use in psychological, psychiatric and brain disorders.
        • Data Science will deliver tools to personalise care of individual patients with mental health disorders by combining routine clinical and research data
        • Dementia will preserve cognitive health and prevent cognitive decline by refining cognitive, imaging and blood-based biomarkers at-scale in the general population and in people experiencing memory problems.
        • Depression Therapeutics (Birmingham) will use human neurocognitive models to help identify and develop new and improved treatments for depression
        •  Flourishing and Wellbeing (Birmingham and Brighton) will enable flourishing initiatives and interventions for patients and non-patients, delivered in spaces beyond the clinic.
        •  Mental Health in Development (Universities of Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford Brookes and Reading, with Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust) will develop targeted, effective, and accessible mental health interventions that meet the needs of diverse children and young people.
        •  Molecular targets (Birmingham) will create a pipeline to translate and back-translate between discovery neuroscience and the clinic, to identify and test new therapeutic targets.
        •  Pain will identify and target chronic pain brain-based mechanisms
        •  Preventing multiple morbidities (Universities of Liverpool, Oxford Brookes, and Sheffield with Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS FT) in whole and high-risk populations will improve population health, reduce inequalities by co-developing and testing population interventions to prevent non-communicable disease and individual interventions for people with mental illness at greatest need.
        • Psychological Treatments (national reach) will develop new effective and efficient psychological interventions that precisely target core psychological mechanism