Winter 2024/25

Research Matters 

The latest clinical research news from the trust and our partners. 

Welcome to the latest edition of Research Matters 

As the year closes, we can look back with pride on what we have achieved in clinical research this year. 

It's difficult to pick just one thing we're proud of, but particular highlights include our success in recruiting the first patient in the UK to six different trials, and a 'first' in Europe. 

These achievements are a real team effort, bringing together data managers, clinical trials coordinators and research nurses, with consultants and services such as pharmacy to deliver trials to patients.

Our research remains as varied as ever, from tracking 600 years of dental health, finding better ways to treat urinary tract infections, and trialling vaccines for common viruses such as flu and norovirus (winter vomiting bug).

We look forward to the year ahead and helping more people to benefit from taking part in research. 

With best wishes for 2025.

Recent achievements and highlights 

UK and Europe first recruits

Recruited to time and target 

Vaccine trials 

We recruited the first patient in the UK to six different trials in:

• Stroke
• Cancer
• Renal (x2)
• Paediatrics 
• Neurology 

We also recruited the first patient in Europe to a gene therapy trial. 

27 of our commercial trials and 40 of our non-commercial trials have recruited to time and target, a metric used to measure how well a study meets its recruitment goals.

We opened and successfully recruited to two vaccine trials - one for flu and one for norovirus.

Spotlight on...

integrating research into clinical care

One of our long-term goals at Newcastle Hospitals is to embed research into clinical care, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to take part in research.

In this 'in the spotlight' section, we shine a light on how our reproductive health and neonatal research team improved patient recruitment to the INGR1D2 trial. 

INGR1D2 is the trust's largest trial to date. It aims to identify babies at risk of developing type 1 diabetes, an incurable condition which affects one in every 250 children born in the UK every year.  

This risk is identified through an additional test on blood collected as part of the newborn blood spot screening programme, normally done when a baby is five days old.  

Abigail Nelson, team lead/senior sister for the neonatal and reproductive health research team, started in her post in 2023 having worked as a research nurse previously.

Shortly after starting in the role, Abi worked with her team to review the current approach to recruiting patients to the INGRID2 trial. 

Abigail said:

"The first thing we did as a team was to look at what was going well and where we could make improvements. At the time, we were recruiting well to the trial, but felt more could be done. 

“We wanted to become trusted and familiar to the clinical team, so we decided to increase the amount of time we spent on the maternity unit, sharing information about the trial and its benefits. 

"Being mindful of how busy the unit is, we helped out clinical teams with certain tasks to alleviate pressures. Again, this was part of building trust and confidence in our research team. 

"One day on the unit I was trying to locate a patient information sheet for the trial. When I couldn't find a sheet, a clinical colleague handed me a copy they had at their desk. It might seem like a small win, but to me it signalled that we were heading in the right direction with embedding research into clinical care."

The approach taken by Abi and her team has led to recruitment to the trial increasing from around 150 babies a month to nearly 400 - a fantastic achievement! 

Feedback from those involved in the trial

"Two researchers came to chat to me and gave me time to read on my own. The consent process was not rushed and was at a calm point when I wasn’t distracted with the baby."

"The research staff were very understanding and helped with questions I may have had."

"Felt like we were contributing to something important and also benefitting from it."

Top stories and announcements 

Newcastle Hospitals secures funding boost for commercial research

The trust has secured funding as part of a £100m national investment to give more people the opportunity to take part in research.

Based within the Royal Victoria Infirmary, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) will act as a regional hub for pioneering clinical trials.

Dr Ashely Price, director of NIHR CRDC and infectious diseases consultant at the RVI

Drug for blood cancer enters third phase of clinical trial

A potential treatment for a type of blood cancer called follicular lymphoma has entered the third phase of clinical trials. The trial drug could provide an alternative to chemotherapy which can have significant side effects for patients. 

Newcastle Hospitals was the first site in the UK to recruit a patient to the study. 

The team involved in the trial includes: Back row from left - Steve Ellis, Annette Kelly, Dr Osborne, Dr Annie Baldwin, Ann Hewison, Katy Tait, Front row from left -  Barbara Armstrong, Mona Khoo, Jane Dixon, Laura Hedley, Meenakshi Kaushik, Dr Vicky Calvert, and Irene Jobson.

New treatment announced for muscular dystrophy as research centre celebrates a decade

The John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, a partnership between Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University, marked a decade of world-leading research in rare disease.  

Members of the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre team

Kidney patients' lives could be saved by international change to donor policies  

Research led by Dr Sam Tingle from Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals reviewed the time to death policy for kidney donation.

Could stem cells help painful knee injury to heal?

Funding from the British Medical Journal Foundation will help Newcastle researchers to see if stem cells can promote healing in people with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. 

‘World first’ for artificial intelligence (AI) machine

Burns experts at Newcastle Hospitals became the first in the world to use a potentially revolutionary AI tool that helps predict how someone’s injuries will heal in less than a second.

Dr Sam Tingle 

Professor David Deehan pictured at the British Medical Journal Foundation awards.

The DeepView machine.

Photo credit: Spectral AI

Could you help shape the future of health research in Newcastle?

The Newcastle Clinical Research Facility, based at the RVI, is looking for new members to join its Health Research Action Group.

Come and join this friendly group of patients and members of the public and get involved in the future of health research.

You don’t need any experience, your life experience and your time is enough. If you or anyone you know would be interested in joining,  please get in touch for a chat.

Call or e-mail patient and public involvement and engagement manager Judith McGuinness on 07344 378220 or email judith.mcguinness@newcastle.ac.uk

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.