Below is information on just some of the research
projects that we currently fund:-
Cervical Cancer
The Humane Research Trust Laboratory
Establishment of an In Vitro Human Colon
Model
Diabetes
Neurotoxicity Testing
Paralysis
Living with Disability
Tetraspanins
Epitope Discovery
Cervical Cancer
University of Manchester, Dr's Ian and Lynne Hampson and Professor Henry
Kitchener
Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer
in women worldwide and it has now been shown that a specific type of
virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV), is involved in causing
90% of cervical carcinomas.
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Dr Ian Hampson and Wendy Turner Webster
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What is needed is a simple, cheap, non-destructive
therapy that would permit self-administered, widespread treatment.
This would be of significant benefit in both the developed and developing
world, where there is limited patient access to clinics and lack of
medical resources.
The research aims to isolate molecularly engineered
human antibody fragments that can act inside cells to neutralise the
cancer inducing properties of HPV. The Trust has extended its original
commitment to the work in several ways.
After a large bequest The Trust is pleased to announce funding for five year's for a Post Doctoral Scientist who will aim to identify the molecular targets of human tumour viruses.
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Extension on funding for Dr Lynne Hampson
The Trust has agreed to a joint funding initiative with the University
which will enable Dr Lynne Hampson to continue working on the project
for a further four years.
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Postgraduate Studentship - Rufsan Bibi
This research has the same overall aim as the main project, but
explores alternative, complementary paths. Ms Bibi is preparing
her thesis
on this work.
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Postgraduate Studentship - Anthony Oliver
Mr Oliver will be continuing the work begun by Ms Bibi and will
also study the effects of the HPV on human cervical proteins.
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Cell Culture Unit
The Trust has provided funding to set up a new cell culture laboratory
at St Mary's Hospital. Our Patron, Wendy Turner Webster, opened
the new laboratory on 22 June 2001.
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Additional Research
The Trust has agreed to provide a one-year grant additional general
support to the work of Dr Hampson's established team all working
on the problem of cervical cancer.
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The Humane Research Trust Laboratory
University
of East Anglia, Norwich
Professor George Duncan
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Norwich Research Team (Left
to right) Colin James, Lixin Wang, David Collison, Michael Wormstone,
George Duncan, Julie Sanderson, Julie Elldred, Diane Alden and
Jeremy Rhodes
|
The Trust's Laboratory at the University of East
Anglia is dedicated entirely to non-animal techniques and is a world
leader in research into cataract and other eye diseases.
The Trusts' Grant programme at the Laboratory
embraces many areas:-
- Cataract Research - Dr Michael Wormstone.
This project has investigated the secondary lens cell growth, which
occurs after cataract surgery, studying the factors that influence
the growth and ways in which it can be inhibited. The team is now
exploring ways of delivering new treatments to lens implants. We
are delighted to acknowledge the generous assistance of the Community
Fund in funding this project.
-
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Dr Michael Wormstone
|
Human Tissue Lectureship. The Trust has agreed to fund the first
five years of a Lectureship in Human Tissue Technology, which will
be held by Dr Wormstone. This will enable Dr Wormstone to pass on
to a new generation of researchers the expertise he has gained in
human tissue techniques. After the Trust's initial guarantee period,
the University will take on the commitment, so the Lectureship will
be a permanent appointment.
- The Trust provides annual grant support, which funds Postgraduate
Studentships teaching human techniques as well as helping with the
work of the laboratory generally.
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Establishment of an In Vitro Human Colon Model
University of East Anglia, Norwich
Dr Mark Williams
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Slide from Dr Mark Williams
- Establishment of an in vitro Human Colon Model
|
This project aims to develop a three-dimensional in vitro culture
model of the human intestine. There is a great deal of interest in
the prevention of inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer
because they are leading causes of death in the developed world. At
present, animal models are in widespread use for studying this subject.
The in vitro model will allow non-animal techniques to be applied
to the research, enabling investigation of stem cell proliferation
and survival, and progress toward new forms of treatment. The principles
involved will also have application to a range of research involving
similar tissue elsewhere in the body, such as breast and prostate problems.
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Professor Keith Frayn and PhD Student Jenny Collins |
Diabetes
University of Oxford - Professor Keith Frayn
The aim of this project is to develop a model to investigate fat metabolism using human fat cells. It is intended to study the process of converting excess carbohydrate into fat for storage and conversion from saturated to unsaturated fat. Most knowledge in this area has previously come from studies using rodent cells and it is hoped that the model will give a greater insight into metabolism in humans.
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Neurotoxicity Testing
Aston University, Birmingham
Dr Michael Coleman
Trust Funded Postgraduate Studentship
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Dr Michael Coleman
and Thomas Zilz from Aston University
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The human central nervous system is acutely vulnerable
to damage from a number of drugs and chemicals, but there is at present
no in vitro test that can model the full range of potential
threats which might arise. Some tests reveal toxicity by assessing
the ability of a human cell line to carry our basic functions in the
presence of the toxic agent, but toxicity can arise at a much later
stage as a result of the way the body processes the original substance.
This project aims to produce a human-tissue based model that will enable
these problems to be studied in the laboratory without the use of animals.
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Paralysis
University of Newcastle, Garth Johnson, Rehabilitation Unit, Christian
Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India,
Richard Chilman
Tetraplegia, involving paralysis of all four
limbs, involves a particular problem in India because the traditional
practice is to eat with the right hand. Under the supervision of Professor
Johnson, Mr Chilman aims to carry out precise studies of the patterns
of movement involved in hand-eating with a view to developing devices
providing artificial electrical stimulation of the hand and wrist to
produce the required movement. A successful outcome would clearly have
valuable international and local applications.
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Living with Disability
Northumbria University, Dr Colin Chandler
Trust Funded Postgraduate Studentship
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Colin Chandler from Newcastle and Guru Nagarajan, working at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. |
This grant is to support the work of Mr S Guru
Nagaran, currently working with the Rehabilitation Institute, Christian
Medical College, Vellore, India. Mr Nagaran will undertake a study
of the impact of a Community Based Rehabilitation programme on the
quality of life of people with disabilities residing in urban slums
of South India. The Rehabilitation Programme is funded by the World
Health Organisation and further developments in the programme resulting
from the study are likely to lead to Vellore becoming a centre for CBR
training and development in Asia.
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Tetraspanins
University of Sheffield
Dr Peter Monk
The aim of the new project is to use in vitro
methods to develop a set of tools for the study
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PhD Student Francine Martin |
of proteins which bind
to tetraspanins.
Tetraspanins are a recently discovered group
of proteins which have been linked to several serious human conditions,
such as artherosclerosis, transplant rejection, muscular dystrophy,
hepatitis, diphtheria, cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer.
The approach will thus be of potential significance to many other forms
of medical research.
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Epitope Discovery
University of Edinburgh
Dr Richard Phelps
The research is aimed at substituting many vaccine-related animal experiments with a novel biochemical technique. The technique identifies an important class of the information required for vaccine design, namely T cell epitopes, using cell lines maintained in culture rather than animal immunisation.
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