Health Research on the NRP
Health is a major focus of research on the Norwich Research Park. The opening of the new Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in 2001, along with one of the first new Medical Schools in the UK for almost 30 years, enables the NRP to integrate health research into its spectrum of life sciences and clinical expertise. The Biomedical Research Centre on the UEA campus houses 20 major biomedical research groups and encourages further collaboration across the site.
A wide range of health problems are being investigated and the NRP is particularly strong in basic research on conditions such as cancer, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. Novel methods of drug delivery, as well as design of new therapeutic molecules are being explored. Underpinning this is expertise into the economic basis of health policy and practice, as well as clinical and nutritional trial opportunities on a stable local population of human volunteers. There is considerable expertise in infectious diseases, and particularly those caused by food poisoning bacteria. There is also a rapidly expanding research effort in the relationship between diet and health furthered by senior appointments at UEA and IFR.
Quicklinks
Fundamentals of Biology
Drug discovery and delivery
Cancer
Infectious diseases
Arthritis
Asthma / Allergies / Immunology
Diabetes
Optical health
Deficiency conditions
Community and social care
Health of the population
Clinical trials – drugs and diet
Respiratory Diseases
Fundamentals of biology
Underpinning the direct studies on human health is a large amount of research into the fundamental biology of growth, development and physiology. The scientists are investigating the signaling mechanisms that control the development of particular tissues of the body, how the tissues are maintained or how they can become diseased. Much of the expertise in the control of growth and development is based in the School of Biological Sciences at UEA.
More on the control of growth and development
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Drug discovery and delivery
Developing new therapeutic drugs requires an understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in disease development described in the previous section. Identifying a “weak spot” in the progression of a disease can reveal possible targets for new drugs, for example, using a combinatorial chemistry approach. The School of Chemistry and the School of Pharmacy are the centre for much of the work on new drugs on the NRP but significant research effort also occurs at the John Innes Centre and Institute for Food Research. They interact with scientists working on specific diseases in the Schools of Biological Sciences and Medicine.
Improving the delivery of drugs to specific sites within the body remains a challenge for many researchers. The NRP has a unique combination of scientists who collaborate as the Centre for Delivery of Bioactive Molecules, based in the School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy and Institute of Food Research. They have expertise in the digestive tract and absorption of molecules through the gut wall. They are developing new methods to investgate how drugs and other bioactive molecules are absorbed by the digestive system. This will help in the development of more efficient formulations for oral delivery of drugs. Understanding the physical properties of drugs is necessary to improving their performance and optimizing dosage. The NRP has particular expertise in the detailed structural and chemical investigation of drug formualtions at its Centre for Nano-Scale Characterisation and Analysis. Alternative methods and formulations for taking drugs are also being explored - eg through drops into the eye, or taste-masking approaches for unpleasant oral drugs. One innovative approach being explored on the NRP involves the harnessing of natural bacteria as drug delivery vehicles. Harmless lactic acids bacteria, for example, are being used to deliver drugs to the gut, which means the drug is released close to the site of absorption. Scientists on the NRP also have years of experience working with the soil bacterium Streptomyces, responsible for the production for many of our major antibiotics and they are using post-genomic technologies to develop new drugs.
More on bacteria to deliver drugs
More on drug development
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Cancer
Cancer will affect one in three of us at some stage in our lives. Cancer research has a strong history on the NRP, with scientists exploring the impact of certain elements of the diet on the risk of cancer (see Food), as well as the molecular mechanisms responsible for tumor formation. Cancers of the head, neck, breast, colon and prostate are of particular interest; with scientists focusing on the specific genes and proteins thought to play a role in causing cells in healthy tissue to become cancerous. There is a considerable amount of clinical research into cancer at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. These studies range widely in size up to participation in very large pan-European studies for instance the 15 year EPIC study on the connection between diet and cancer which includes 25,000 men and women from Norfolk.
The Norwich Tissue Bank provides an excellent resource for scientists interested in various aspects of cancer. With permission of the patient, tissue samples are retained following biopsies, or removal of a tumor. This material enables scientists to compare cancerous tissue with healthy tissue, to identify the specific factors responsible for cancer formation.
More on NRP cancer research
More on diet and cancer
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Infectious diseases
While there are numerous bacteria that our bodies can tolerate, and even some that do us good, others can make us very ill. Examples of these are those that cause food poisoning, such as Salmonella, E. coli, Botulinum and Campylobacter. Scientists on the NRP are identifying the factors that allow these bacteria to survive washing and processing and even grow in food (see Food) and cause infection when eaten.
More on food poisoning bacteria
A number of non-food infectious diseases are also being investigated including Bordetella pertussis (causes whooping cough), Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumonia), water-borne gasteroenteric diseases (such as Cryptosporidium), tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria and MRSA, the so-called “super-bug”. There is also significant research into the trypanosome diseases sleeping sickness and Chagas heart disease.
Arthritis
Problems in our joints cause considerable pain and have a significant negative economic impact due to cost of treatments and lost work days. NRP researchers are taking different approaches to studying the condition; some are exploring the genetic and biochemical basis for degeneration of cartilage and inflammation of the joint, while others are investigating management of arthritic conditions.
Asthma / Allergies / Immunology
Our immune systems are designed to protect us against harmful invaders, but sometimes we can be hypersensitive to these factors, causing the immune system to trigger an adverse reaction. Exposure to, among other things, pollen, dust and certain foods can all lead to an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, which may range from mild to severe. Identifying these factors and seeing how the immune system distinguishes “friend” from “foe” is a strong focus for immunologists on the NRP. Sensitive methods for determining the presence of certain allergens in food have also been developed. A large amount of clinical research into asthma and related conditions is undertaken by consultants at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. In particular studies of new or improved treatments and their efficacy compared to current treatments are made.
More on research into food allergies
More on detecting food allergens
Other research into these conditions is focused more on the social and behavioral aspects; such as their impact on the lives of patients, the mechanisms they employ to avoid them, as well as identifying the psychosocial factors that are important in identifying high-risk individuals.
Diabetes
Research into diabetes on the NRP is strengthened by links with the nearby Bertram Diabetes Unit. Understanding the immunological changes in the blood vessels of people with diabetes is helping scientists identify ways of reducing the risk of other, complicating factors for the condition. Clinicians at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital also investigate aspects of diabetes and its effects and developing improved approaches or methodologies to improve the lives of people with the condition. For instance, methods to help women to control their glucose levels during pregnancy.
Optical health
Researchers from across the NRP are trying to understand glaucoma and cataracts which are the main diseases of the eye. For instance, why people with poor diets are more likely to suffer from cataracts, while those who eat a high proportion of fruit and vegetables suffer less. This suggests that so-called “free radicals” present naturally in our bodies might play a role in cataract development – as these free radicals are neutralised by chemicals found in fresh fruit and vegetables. 
Understanding the signalling processes involved opens the way for developing target therapeutics to combat cataract formation. Efforts to understand problems that can arise following cataract surgery are being made in order to develop novel therapies.
Glaucoma results from the degeneration of cells in the retina, and leads to permanent vision loss. NRP researchers have discovered a way of growing these cells in the laboratory, which is helping them investigate the causes of cell death.
Deficiency conditions
Our diet needs certain important components, and a deficiency of these can cause illness. Calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, copper and selenium are examples of the dietary components under investigation to determine the optimum levels for health and the impact of an excess or deficiency. These conditions are usually studied using human volunteers eating a specially designed diet, enabling researchers to monitor changes in biochemical processes, or gene activity within the body (see Food).
More on minerals research
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Community and social care
NRP researchers are not just concerned with medical approaches to health. In the School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, consideration of the social and economic impacts is a crucial element of healthcare provision; these are studied in a number of ways, such as through analyses of community and social care services, and the evaluation of health care services. Much of this work is facilitated through partnerships with professional and special interest groups in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, health authorities, community and primary care trusts, acute hospital trusts and voluntary organisations.
Health of the population
Population health science and epidemiology give important insights into the external factors that appear to influence the onset of disease. As well as understanding these factors from a Western perspective, the factors influencing the health of people in developing countries are of particular interest, such as poverty and nutrition.
Research on effect of livelihood on health
Clinical trials – drugs and diet
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (N&NUH) usually runs between 40 and 50 commercial trials with pharma companies at any one time through its clinical trials unit. The Research Coordinator acts as the first point of contact for pharmaceutical companies wishing to carry out such trials, and arranges for the protocol to be assessed by the Research Governance Committee and the Local Research Ethics Committee. Once the logistics of delivering the study have been worked out and approval has been granted, the Agreement and Indemnity is signed and the trial can proceed. The unit will expand greatly the range of work it can undertake on completion of the main unit attached to the Medical School in 2007.
The Institute of Food Research has a residential facility to carry out feeding studies using human volunteers. Staff working in the Human Nutrition Unit work with researchers to design and prepare meals in accordance with the specific feeding studies. Where needed, tissue or other samples are taken from human volunteers undergoing the dietary studies by trained nurses for further analysis.
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Respiratory diseases
The NRP has a cluster of scientists at UEA and clinicians at the hospital who work on respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema and asthma which are often deadly in severe cases. They also investigate how the body deals with bacterial and viral infections of the airway. The results from this research are being used to develop novel therapies and treatments.
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Last Updated: 19/07/2010 12:26