The latest clinical research news from the trust and our partners.
Welcome to Research Matters
We're already halfway through the year and there's a host of achievements to look back on in recent months.
Before we dive in, we wanted to take a moment to demystify some of the things you might have heard about research. We talk about research a lot and how important it is to future health care, but did you know that:
Taking part in health research is up to you. You can change your mind at any time, even after you’ve signed up. Whether you do or don’t take part in research will have no impact on any current treatment you may be having.
All health research goes through detailed safety checks.
We need healthy people to take part in research as well as people with health conditions.
Some of our health research takes place in hospital, but you can also take part over the phone, online, or at one of our research facilities.
Your data will only be used in line with strict criteria around anonymity and ethics.
Did you know you can still help shape research without taking part in a trial or study?
Taking part in research doesn’t always mean signing up to be part of a trial or study. We work with patient and public groups around certain health conditions, providing you the opportunity to influence research without necessarily taking part.
More information about some of our current participation groups can be found on ourwebsite.
We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Research Matters.
The PREMISE trial, led nationally by urological surgeon, Mr Toby Page, will compare current treatment options for men with benign prostate enlargement (enlarged prostate).
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is one of the most common procedures used to treat an enlarged prostate. It is carried out in hospital under general anaesthetic and involves trimming away the extra prostate tissue that is blocking urine flow.
While safe and effective, TURP can result in men losing the ability to control their bladder, as well as causing impotence (erectile dysfunction).
More recently, alternative treatment options have become available which usually require a shorter time in hospital and potentially have a lower risk of complications.
PREMISE will compare TURP with three of these alternative treatment options to determine which is the most effective.
Dental experts at Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University are leading a new study to determine how nicotine pouches affect oral health.
Nicotine pouches are small sachets that are placed between the lip and gum and release nicotine into the bloodstream. They are thought to be less toxic than cigarettes, however limited research means long-term side effects have not been determined.
The use of nicotine pouches in the UK has increased over recent years. Current research also indicates that awareness of nicotine pouches is rising amongst adults and children.
Information gathered will be used to inform future health care guidance.
Dr Richard Holliday is chief investigator for the study. He is director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Dental Clinical Research Facility.
The SENTINEL trial is investigating if a donor skin patch can be used as an early warning system to identify if the body is rejecting a lung transplant.
One of the first patients to benefit is 53-year-old Darren White who had his lung transplant at the Institute of Transplantation, based at the Freeman Hospital.
Darren, who was part of the trial, noticed the patch of donor skin on his arm started to turn purple and he sent photos to his medical team. He saw his team who confirmed very mild rejection which was successfully treated with steroids.
The approach has the potential to revolutionise the way lung transplants are performed in the future and reduce the problems with detecting and treating rejection early/
In Newcastle, SENTINEL is led by Professor Andrew Fisher, honorary consultant respiratory physician, and supported by our transplant research team.
Left: Darren with his son; right: Professor Andrew Fisher
Cancer experts at the Freeman Hospital are part of a major UK clinical trial to test whether proton beam therapy can improve survival for patients with mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that grows in the lining of the lung.
Survival rates for mesothelioma are poor and standard radiotherapy is not usually suitable for treating the full lining of the lung. In comparison, proton beam therapy targets the tumour, minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Researchers hope the treatment could increase two-year survival rates from around 30% to 50%, potentially reshaping national treatment guidelines.
HIT-MESO is led by Dr Helen Turnbull, consultant clinical oncologist, and our late phase oncology research team.
Mr Sandip Nandhra, honorary consultant vascular surgeon is chief investigator for a UK-wide trial evaluating whether iron given intravenously can improve recovery for patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia.
Chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) is a severe form of peripheral artery disease, a condition usually caused by smoking. It causes around 4,500 amputations each year and, in some cases, it can be fatal.
Previous research led by Newcastle University has shown mild anaemia raises the risk of amputation and death by up to 30%, with severity increasing this risk to 50%.
Intravenous (I.V. – injected into a vein) iron is currently used to manage anaemia and improves muscle function in other conditions, however, whether it works in CLTI patients is unknown.
The trial aims to find out if administering I.V. iron shortly after surgery can improve physical health and quality of life for patients. It will be supported by the vascular research team at the Freeman Hospital.
The BESS study reviewed whether a liquid called surfactant could help babies with bronchiolitis, caused when respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects a baby’s lungs, to reduce the time they need to be on the mechanical ventilator.
Surfactant is liquid made in healthy lungs that helps the lungs to inflate more easily. It has been used in premature babies with other lung problems for over 30 years and the study team set out to determine whether this therapy could also benefit babies hospitalised with bronchiolitis.
THE BESS study was led by the University of Liverpool and ran across 15 children's hospitals, including the Great North Children's Hospital (GNCH) where Dr Rachel Agbeko led the study, supported by Dr Liz Day, the paediatric research team, and the paediatric respiratory physiotherapy team.
The study results, published in The Lancet, found that the treatment was safe, but it didn’t make any difference to how long babies stayed on ventilators
The researchers emphasise that surfactant therapy remains essential for premature newborn babies and advocate for further studies to explore targeted treatments for bronchiolitis.
Other news
Professor Bobby McFarland, Action Medical Research professor of neuromuscular disease at Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals’ director of the NHS highly specialised service for rare mitochondrial, has been named in the 2026 TIME100 World’s Most Influential Leaders in Health.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility, based at the RVI, was the first centre in the world to activate a CAR-T trial for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. This complex, early phase trial was set up in 113 days, well within the current 150 day target set by government.
Respiratory research colleagues recruited the first patient in the UK to the HOME-BRAC study. The study evaluates a medical device combined with remote physiotherapy at home to see how it impacts quality of life and flare-ups of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis symptoms.
Take part in research
If you'd like to find out about upcoming trials that might be relevant to you, sign up to Research + Me, an online registry for people who are interested in taking part in clinical research.
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 4LP, England
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