Making a Difference

Children and adults with a rare form of bone cancer are receiving a new standard of treatment internationally that is more effective, thanks to the work of Birmingham Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit . Working with the leading centres for Ewing sarcoma cancer treatment in Europe, researchers compared the European treatment regimen with that in the US to find the treatment pathway that had better outcomes and patient experience.

Giving colon cancer patients chemotherapy before surgery cuts their risk of cancer returning within 2 years by 28%, according to the results of the FOxTROT trial. 1,053 colon cancer patients from 85 hospitals in the UK, Denmark and Sweden were involved in the study, led by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Leeds. Doctors in countries around the world will now be able to put these findings into clinical practice, saving many thousands of lives. 

Our researchers have led workshops at the University of Birmingham for rheumatologists from Africa and the Middle East to promote best practice in the management of early arthritis. This has led to the development of early arthritis clinic services in the Africa and Middle East regions allowing patients with new onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to be seen early with associated improved clinical outcomes. Tests to predict those who will develop RA have been informed by our underpinning research. The use of these tests has been endorsed by national and international guidelines and they are now widely used in the UK and internationally.

Severe periodontitis (PD), is the sixth most common human disease, affecting 40-50% of adults globally, sharing common pathological processes with diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disease. Researchers from the University of Birmingham identified inflammation caused by periodontal bacteria entering the circulation as a causal link between PD and systemic diseases. This research helped shaped international guidelines on cardiovascular disease and diabetes, acknowledging gum disease as a major public health issue.

Our researchers are at the forefront of global efforts to improve maternal and perinatal health outcomes. We host one of only three World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centres for Women’s Health research in the UK, and work in collaboration with the WHO to support and advance the organisation's goals and initiatives related to women's health. We serve as specialised institutions designated by the WHO to contribute expertise, research, training, and technical assistance in global women's health research. We provided evidence needed to understand the effect of COVID-19 in pregnancy, which informed national and international guidelines on care of pregnant women during the pandemic. 

Our research in this area has explored innovative approaches to prevent miscarriage, such as the use of progesterone supplementation in women at high risk. These findings have influenced national and international guidelines, helping healthcare professionals provide evidence-based care to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Other research areas include gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, obesity in pregnancy, epilepsy in pregnancy, and the management of medical conditions during pregnancy.

For example, our work has shed light on identifying women at high risk of developing gestational diabetes, enabling targeted interventions and personalised care plans to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes. Through partnerships with institutions such as the WHO and UNICEF, we contribute to global initiatives and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve maternal health policies and programs globally.

As part of the Risk, Abuse and Violence (RAV) research programme, our researchers have developed innovative and safe ways of working with survivors of violence as co-researchers. Members of the RAV team have also led on the development of guidelines for ethical practice when undertaking research involving women as survivors of violence in the global south. 

Patients in lower and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by wound infections. A trial led by Birmingham researchers, conducted in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, showed that a routine switch of gloves and instruments during abdominal wound closures could help prevent surgical site infection. This simple practice can now be widely implemented around the world. 

A research programme aimed at reducing the number of donor livers discarded by improving the preservation and function recovery of sub-optimal donated livers established a set of ‘viability criteria’ that donated livers must meet to be transplanted. These viability criteria can now guide transplant teams worldwide to provide access to the life-saving transplantation to more patients in need.

Our researchers are creating innovative and cutting-edge solutions to stop the spread of bacterial, viral, and insect-borne diseases. Birmingham researchers collaborate with colleagues in China to understand how antibiotic-resistant bacteria evolve and spread in hospitals in China, which can inform infection prevention procedures globally. Our research has shown how the release of wastewater in the environment contributes to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in low- and middle-income countries.

Researchers at the University played a vital role in the response to COVID-19. From establishing the first of three flagship testing facilities, processing thousands of COVID-19 tests daily, to playing a pivotal part in delivering large scale, rapid genetic sequencing to inform public health response. The University is now leading a major study to better understand how the immune system interacts with SARS-CoV-2 to help develop better diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.