18.03.14
Cambridge to spearhead national network for health research
A Cambridge medical research hub is to spearhead a national network of centres in an effort to make the UK the best place in the world for health research.
The new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) BioResource panel, which is made up of over 75,000 volunteers, both with and without health problems, who are willing to be approached to participate in research studies investigating the links between genes, the environment, health and disease, will be headquartered at Cambridge University Hospitals.
A key part the Government’s commitment to life sciences, BioResource volunteers donate a small sample of blood or saliva for DNA analysis – called a genotype – and this sample is used to ‘matchmake’ them to research studies based on their genotype and/or phenotype, which is about gender and lifestyle.
In 2005 the Cambridge BioResource was launched and now has around 14,000 local volunteers. In 2012 it received funding from the NIHR to develop a national service and now has seven centres, four in London, one in Oxford and another in Leicester. A new centre will open in Newcastle in April this year.
Dr John Bradley, director of the NIHR BioResource, explained: “By pooling together resources from all the centres, research teams can quickly access the volunteers they need to help with their research. This sharing of expertise will speed up the research process which will ultimately bring benefits to patients and their families.”
The NIHR BioResource facilitates research into a range of conditions including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and rare diseases. Ultimately it could speed-up the development of new treatments and attract international investment as a result of companies having access to a growing bank of tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country who are keen to help medical research.
Health minister Lord Howe added: “We are determined to make the UK the best place in the world for health research, development and innovation, which is why we are so proud of the NIHR BioResource project. It will become an unrivalled, world-leading resource for health researchers.”
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