Scientists at Norwich Research Park are working together to design an infection-resistant chest drain for patients with advanced cancer being treated for pleural effusions. Pleural effusion occurs when fluid builds up in the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing breathlessness and severe discomfort.
The researchers from the Quadram Institute, University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH, has led to the development of a new approach that could radically reduce the number of infections in patients.
It would mean that not only would the treatment be easier and quicker to administer it would also help patients avoid having a lengthy stay in hospital recovering from an infection. This condition is normally treated by inserting a permanent silicon drain, known as an IPC, into the chest.
Research by Dr Eleanor Mishra, a consultant respiratory physician at NNUH, showed that about 5% of these drains get infected. Supported by funding from the Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn Fund, she conducted further research with Dr Dheeraj Sethi and Prof Mark Webber at the Quadram Institute and found that bacteria form biofilms on the silicon surface of the drains which are hard to remove which then lead to infection and make the condition difficult to treat.
Once this was identified, Eleanor and Mark worked with the Prof Sheng Qi of the University of East Anglia (UEA), also at Norwich Research Park, to develop novel silicon surfaces that are resistant to biofilms, with the aim of reducing infection rates. They are employing a number of techniques including 3D printing to modify the surface properties of the silicon and are also collaborating with Rocket Medical, a UK company which makes IPCs, to ensure that the team’s design is commercially viable.
Initially, the team received a UEA Catalyst Fund grant to do the basic testing to modify and test the surfaces under lab conditions. They then secured a Medical Research Council Impact Acceleration Account (MRC IAA) grant to continue their R&D testing with Dr Dannielle Cox-Pridmore, the post-doc employed by the MRC IAA grant and works at UEA/Quadram Instititue making modifications to large numbers of surfaces to try and find the optimum choice.
Rocket Medical is lending its considerable experience it has in the manufacture of medical devices for chest drainage to refine these surfaces further and explore different products that, ultimately, will lead to the large-scale, commercially-viable manufacture of the drains
Dr Mishra said, “This research has only been possible because of the collaboration opportunities that are here at Norwich Research Park. Having experts like Mark and Sheng on site has enabled us to rapidly work alongside other experts to advance our research and to develop a potential new approach. We are a very grateful for the funding we have received that will ultimately enable us to translate our research into really meaningful benefits for cancer patients.
“At the moment, those patients that get an infection from an IPC face an extended time in hospital and a long recovery when they are already suffering the effects of cancer. Infections like these interrupt their chemotherapy and disrupt their lifestyle. As one of my patients said when he got an infection “It ages you five years”. If we can develop an IPC that cannot get infected it is going to save a lot of people from having additional hospital stays and it will free up NHS beds for other patients.”
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation at Norwich Research Park, said: “As one of the largest research communities in Europe, with over 30,000 people on site every day, we have the capacity and capability to achieve breakthrough discoveries in many areas.
“With a university and a large teaching hospital on site, as well as four world-leading research institutes, there are many opportunities for people to collaborate and work together on important projects. Eleanor’s research is a brilliant demonstration of this as it has been easy for her to work with Mark at the Quadram Institute and Sheng at UEA to drive forward the outputs from her findings in order to realise real benefits for those people suffering with pleural effusions.
“Being at Norwich Research Park has enabled Eleanor to access cross-disciplinary expertise, funding and industry partners able to translate research into tangible benefits. Whilst still in the early stages of R&D, this is a great example of how our community on campus is maximising the impact of the publicly funded research taking place here.”
The Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn Fund, which helped get the research ball rolling, was established to help doctors at NNUH develop research ideas with scientists at the Quadram Institute. This has recently been expanded thanks to extra funding from the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity.
Funding from the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity means the fund can be extended to support more clinical research projects for patient benefit during 2024/25. The Clinical Seedcorn Fund also supports secondments of NHS staff to Quadram Institute laboratories and associated research costs. In 2024/25 the Quadram Institute will fund £150,000, with up to another £150,000 funded by the Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals Charity.
For more information go to the Norwich Research Park website here.
