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Research Changes Lives 2009-2014 Mid-Term Update on Progress Against Objectives

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Research Changes Lives 2009-2014 Mid-Term Update on Progress Against Objectives Research Changes Lives 2009-2014 Mid-term update on progress against objectives July 2012 Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................. 3 Introduction ........................................................................................... 11 STRATEGIC AIM ONE: Picking research that delivers ............................. 13 Natural Protection................................................................................... 13 Tissue disease and degeneration .............................................................. 19 Mental health and wellbeing ..................................................................... 27 Repair and replacement .......................................................................... 35 Genetics and disease .............................................................................. 43 Life course perspective ............................................................................ 53 Lifestyles affecting health ........................................................................ 59 Environment and health .......................................................................... 67 STRATEGIC AIM TWO: Research to people ............................................. 75 Translation of research ............................................................................ 75 Regulation, ethics, governance and working with decision-makers ................ 87 Communication ...................................................................................... 93 STRATEGIC AIM THREE: Going global ..................................................... 99 Partnerships and shaping the agenda ........................................................ 99 Global Health ....................................................................................... 105 STRATEGIC AIM FOUR: Supporting scientists ....................................... 113 Capacity .............................................................................................. 113 Use of population-based data ................................................................. 119 Research environment .......................................................................... 125 2 Executive Summary The mid-term progress report evaluates progress against each of the specific commitments made to deliver the sixteen objectives in the MRC Strategic Plan, Research Changes Lives (2009-2014). Significant progress has been made against most (approx. 70%) of these commitments, whilst in some areas delivery is underway and advances are expected in the second half of the Strategic Plan period. The mid-term progress report gives an overview of MRC activities and the outcomes of MRC research with the aim of informing discussions on research priorities for the future. It is the first time that MRC has measured progress against strategic objectives in this way. The following two examples illustrate the impact of MRC activities shaped by the Strategic Plan: Addressing the ‘Natural Protection’ objective, which contributed to Theme 1 ‘Resilience, Repair and Replacement’ - the MRC, Wellcome Trust and Department of Health convened a meeting in 2009 to develop new or enhanced approaches to tackle the H1N1 flu pandemic. Three key studies were supported through a fast-track procedure, including the Mechanism of Severe Acute Influenza Consortium (MOSAIC). MOSAIC is the largest consortium of its kind, led by Imperial College with co-investigators in many UK locations. It has provided the clinical samples that led to the identification of the IFITM3 gene1, which is linked to the severity of flu infection and helps explain why flu becomes a life-threatening disease in some people whilst only having mild effects in others. MOSAIC has provided a template for such consortia worldwide leading to the establishment of a new global network, ISARIC2, supported by 6 international funding agencies across the globe, including the MRC, to understand the causes of severe respiratory diseases. Strengthening the way we work with industry for the benefit of UK science is a key goal in the ‘Translation’ objective in Strategic Aim 2 ‘Research to People’. This objective is directly relevant to Government’s Strategy for UK Life Sciences3. A partnership established with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in 2009 has been the driver for a transformational relationship with industry. The £9.5m MRC-ABPI Inflammation and Immunology initiative represents the first time an MRC initiative has been co-designed with industry and a novel way of working bringing together the best of clinical science, well-characterised cohort studies and industry partners. Two disease specific consortia were established tackling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The closer and more productive interaction with industry in this successful pilot programme has shaped the stratified 1 Everitt A.R. et al. (March 2012). "IFITM3 restricts the morbidity and mortality associated with influenza.".Nature advance online publication. doi:10.1038/nature10921. PMID 22446628. 2 “New international consortium to prepare research community for future pandemics” http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2011/WTVM053638.htm 3 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/s/11-1429-strategy-for-uk-life-sciences 3 medicine initiative, a £200m five-year 2011 initiative which has leveraged support from the Technology Strategy Board, Cancer Research UK and others to accelerate the adoption of stratified medicine in the UK4. The MRC/AstraZeneca Mechanisms of disease call5is an example of a novel outcome from such discussions. In a world-first this initiative has made available 22 AstraZeneca compounds to the academic research community to investigate disease mechanisms and determine whether these can be used for previously unknown indications. A summary of the transformational developments relating to the sixteen objectives in the Strategic Plan ‘Research Changes Lives’ achieved since the plan was adopted in 2009 is given below: Objective Key Developments 1. Natural protection Through the joint MRC-ABPI inflammation To explore resilience to disease and Immunology initiative we have and degeneration, established a new funding model that brings understanding how it may be together competing UK academic groups exploited for new interventions and companies to jointly address pressing that ameliorate disease research questions processes 2. Tissue disease and We have established effective international degeneration networks to address the bottlenecks in To advance knowledge in the neurodegeneration research through a Joint biology of ageing and Programming initiative and Centres of degeneration of human tissue; Excellence in Neurodegeneration to understand the mechanisms Major advances have been made in the and impact of chronic diagnosis and development of potential inflammation therapies for Creutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease6 Through the UK Brain Bank Network we have transformed the access to healthy and diseased post-mortem brain tissue for research, benefiting donors, patients and researchers Long-term MRC investment into fundamental stem cell biology has now led to the availability of badly needed disease models for neurodegenerative diseases7 3. Mental health and wellbeing The MRC led UK strategy for Mental Health To explore the relationship and Wellbeing has led the way in novel between mental health, thinking and the definition of a research wellbeing and resilience to agenda that looks beyond diagnostic disease processes boundaries of mental health disorders and investigates common traits8 Through industry engagement in studies awarded under the Experimental Medicine in 4 Stratified Medicine in the UK Vision and Roadmap http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/publications/roadmap_stratifiedmedintheuk%20_final.pdf 5 http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Calls/MoD/MRC008389 6 Detection of prion infection in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a blood-based assay Lancet, (2011) Volume 377, Issue 9764, Pages 487 - 493, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62308-2 7 Retinoid-independent motor neurogenesis from human embryonic stem cells reveals a medial columnar ground state. 2010. Patani R et al. Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms1216 8 Sahakian BJ, Malloch G and Kennard C. Lancet, Volume 375,. pp1854 - 1855, 29 May 2010 4 Mental Health initiative we have developed a platform for future UK investment by the pharmaceutical industry 4. Repair and replacement We have established a portfolio of six early To translate the burgeoning phase clinical trials of adult stem cell knowledge in regenerative therapies through the Translational Stem medicine into new treatment Cell Research Committee and are pursuing strategies the critical developmental work to support human embryonic stem cell therapies The world’s first clinical grade human embryonic stem cell line has been deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank Repair of the retina is starting to become a reality. MRC supported research has demonstrated evidence of functional recovery of damage in the eye through cell transplantation, providing encouragement for the development of stem cell therapies for debilitating eye conditions9. The first UK exploratory clinical studies using UK derived human embryonic stem cells to treat age- related macular degeneration are expected to start soon. MRC funded research has laid much of the foundation of stem
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