An innovative bedside genetic test being implemented in Manchester could dramatically improve outcomes for thousands of people in the UK affected by stroke each year. The test can tell healthcare professionals in approximately one hour if stroke patients will be more likely to benefit from clopidogrel, the current first-line treatment to prevent recurrence.
An antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties will be trialed in 45 stroke units across the UK starting in early 2025. The trial, led by Professor Craig Smith will determine whether this additional treatment will improve clinical and health economic outcomes.
Work on an imaging test to detect and monitor inflammation in brain tumours will take a step forward thanks to two new grants. Researchers within our brain imaging theme are developing a clinically applicable imaging test that could be used in all magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to help predict tumour growth and guide treatment.
Scientists from our brain tumour theme along with colleagues from the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust have published a paper in Neuro-Oncology Advances. It is the first in vivo evidence of increased TSPO expression and inflammation within the brains of patients with growing sporadic vestibular schwannomas.
Manchester is one of nine leading universities which will benefit from a record £35 million funding injection from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to help strengthen world-leading cardiovascular disease research in the UK. The funding comes from the highly competitive Research Excellence Awards funding scheme.
A team of researchers from The University of Manchester and the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre have made an exciting discovery. This important research has been published in the prestigious journal Science Advances and could pave the way for new treatments in the future.
The Natalie Kate Moss Trust (NKMT) was set up in 2012 by the Moss family, following the sudden death of Natalie at the age of 26 after an unexpected brain haemorrhage.Focusing on turning this tragedy into something positive, their mission is to empower more people to...
Dementia theme lead Dr Ross Dunne will be overseeing the research team at the Dementia Research Centre and the brainHealth Manchester clinic in the Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) blood biomarker challenge, a project which aims to bring cutting-edge blood tests for diagnosing dementia within the NHS.
The team aims to bring this cutting-edge technology to preclinical stroke research to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of SD initiation and their involvement in worsening stroke severity. This work will be a crucial first step in the maturity of this technology towards future clinical translation where they anticipate that it will greatly facilitate management of patients in the neuro-intensive care units.
Pneumonia affects around 1 in 12 people after a stroke and increases their chances of death and disability. CHOSEN aimed to determine the feasibility of different oral healthcare treatments, supported by staff education and training, to prevent pneumonia in UK stroke unit care.
Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre
Clinical Sciences Building
Northern Care Alliance
NHS Foundation Trust
Salford
M6 8FJ
Email: GJBRC@manchester.ac.uk
Actor Clara Darcy will share her remarkable story of life, love, dancing and brain surgery on BBC Radio 4 later this month.
Her play ‘We Should Definitely Have More Dancing’ was inspired by her experiences after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the base of her skull called a chordoma, in July 2019. This slow-growing type of cancer at this location affecting the deepest vital parts of the brain and cranial nerves is found in fewer than 25 people in the UK every year.
By the time Clara was diagnosed, her tumour had reached the size of a fist. A week later, Salford Royal Neurosurgeon and Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre Strategy Lead Professor Omar Pathmanaban led a successful 14-hour operation to remove it.
After that, she had eight weeks of proton-beam therapy, a pioneering form of radiotherapy.
The Manchester team have the largest experience of surgery and proton beam therapy for these rare tumours in the UK and treat patients from across the country and further afield.
Only a month after finishing treatment, she began working with writer Ian Kershaw on the life-affirming play, which is based on the notes and diary she kept at the time.
She explained: “I didn’t want to forget anything – particularly not knowing if my brain would ever work in the same way again, if I would ever remember any of it or if I would even be the same person coming out the other side of surgery.
"I really wanted to tell the story, and the actual process of writing it was therapeutic and cathartic.
“I would not still be here if it weren’t for the exceptional care I received from the NHS at every step of the way. It felt incredibly important to share my experiences and lessons learned, particularly as I am very much one of the lucky ones. When you have a near-death experience, you can’t help but come back from it with a whole new perspective on life.”
The life-affirming play even features an actor playing Prof Pathmanaban, who said: “It’s a huge honour and novel experience for me to be characterised in this fantastic production, I encourage everyone to listen and experience Clara’s remarkable journey through her personal dramatization.”
In its original form as a stage play “We Should Definitely Have More Dancing” premiered at Oldham Coliseum last year and toured the country before ending at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was published as a playtext before being commissioned for Radio 4, It was published as a playtext before being commissioned for Radio 4 and is available on BBC Sounds.
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