Collaboration between researchers at the Quadram Institute, University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) has led to a new approach being investigated that could reduce infections and lengthy hospital stays.
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.
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The condition is normally treated by inserting a permanent silicon drain, called an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC), into the chest.
Previous research by Dr Eleanor Mishra, a consultant respiratory physician at NNUH, showed that about 5pc of these drains get infected.
Dr Mishra said: “At the moment, 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.'"
Dr Mishra worked with Dr Dheeraj Sethi and Prof Mark Webber of the Quadram Institute to investigate this further.
They found that bacteria form biofilms on the silicon surface of the drains, which then lead to infection.
Dr Mishra and Prof Webber worked with Prof Sheng Qi of the University of East Anglia (UEA) to develop novel silicon surfaces that are resistant to biofilms, with the aim of reducing infection rates.
The researchers employed techniques including 3D printing to modify the surface properties of the silicon.
"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,” said Dr Mishra.
The team received a UEA Catalyst Fund grant to modify and test the surfaces under lab conditions. In March, they secured a Medical Research Council Impact Acceleration Account (MRC IAA) grant to continue R&D testing with Dr Dannielle Cox-Pridmore.
Dr Cox-Pridmore is a post-doc employed by the MRC IAA grant and works at UEA/QIB making modifications to large numbers of surfaces to develop the optimum choice.
They are also collaborating with Rocket Medical, a UK company which makes IPCs, to ensure that the design is commercially viable. Rocket Medical is lending its considerable experience in the manufacture of medical devices for chest drainage to refine the product.
It is hoped that this process will ultimately will lead to large-scale, commercially-viable manufacturing of the infection-resistant chest drains.
"This research has only been possible because of the collaboration opportunities that are here at Norwich Research Park," said Dr Mishra.
"Having experts like Mark and Sheng on site who I can literally walk to meet has enabled us to rapidly work alongside other experts to advance our research and to develop a potential new approach."
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The Quadram Institute Clinical Seedcorn Fund, which helped get the project off the ground, was established to help NNUH doctors develop research ideas with scientists at the Quadram Institute. This has recently been expanded thanks to extra funding from the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity.
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 and Norwich Hospitals Charity.
Dr Mishra said: "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."
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. Dr Mishra’s research is a brilliant demonstration of this, as it has been easy for her to work with Prof Webber at the Quadram Institute and Prof Qi 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 Dr Mishra 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.”
For more information, visit norwichresearchpark.com
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