Health, Disease and Survival
The Essex Biomedical Sciences Institute
Dr Beverley Wilkinson
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Essex
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Health in the Headlines
‘Jade Goody has Cervical Cancer’
‘Patrick Swayze dies of pancreatic cancer aged 57’
‘Obese children show signs of heart disease’
‘Obesity-related heart disease ‘will increase considerably’ by 2020’
‘Sara Payne Paralysed after stroke’
‘My battle with Alzheimer’s, by fantasy writer Terry Pratchett’
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
World’s Biggest Killers
 The global burden of disease is shifting from
infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases
 Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke are the three
leading causes of death today
An ageing population will push the numbers of
people suffering dementia up significantly in
coming years
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
But there is hope……
‘Scientists come up with an electronic
sticking plaster to treat skin cancer’
‘Immune therapy Alzheimer's hope’
‘Stem cells could save stroke victims’
‘Cancer cell study breakthrough ‘
‘Wonder drug hope for heart patients’
‘Personalised cancer blood test hope’
‘Cancer patient cured with his own immune system’
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Essex Biomedical Sciences Institute (EBSI)
Who are we?
 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex
 University scientists and clinicians from hospital trusts
What do we do?
 Patient-focused, biomedical and health related research
 Working to discover new therapies and interventions that
improve health and increase our chances of survival:
Artificial Blood
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cancer
Cardiac rehabilitation
Childhood Obesity
Heart Disease
Infectious Diseases
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
EBSI in the Headlines
‘Fewer than half of children now get enough physical activity to produce
health benefits’
‘Scientists Make Important Discovery in Gene Regulation’
‘Paracetamol protects against kidney failure after muscle injury’
‘True
Blood is a Breakthrough for Uni’
‘Reports outline cancer study findings from University of Essex’
‘Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Affluent Children Examined’
‘British children’s fitness levels falling twice
as fast as international average’'
‘Scientists' breakthrough for breast cancer care’
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
EBSI - Selected Studies

Dementia

Childhood Obesity and Heart Disease

Biomarkers of Breast Cancer

Artificial Blood
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Dementia - Alzheimer’s Disease
 Dementia is characterised by an ongoing
decline of the brain and its abilities.
 Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause
of dementia.
 One of the hallmarks is the build up of ‘amyloid’
proteins into ‘plaques’ between nerve cells in the
brain.
These amyloid plaques contribute to nerve
cell damage in the brain.
NORMAL BRAIN
ALZHEIMER’S BRAIN
Currently no drug therapies exist to control
the formation of amyloid plaques.
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Childhood Obesity and Heart Disease
 Childhood obesity linked to an increased risk for
heart disease in later life.
 EBSI is tackling childhood obesity by developing
new ways to monitor and test children’s fitness.
 The East of England Healthy Hearts Study looks at
levels of fitness in local children.
 Child fitness levels are declining.
"The measurement of obesity alone may not be
sufficient to keep an eye on children's future health.
We need some form of monitoring of fitness”
Dr Gavin Sandercock (Lead Researcher)
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Cancer Biomarkers
Biomarkers
of Breast Cancer
 Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases
in the Western world
 Cancer biomarkers - molecules found only in cancer cells
 Used for diagnostic purposes to detect cancer cells. Cells
carrying this marker can be targeted and destroyed
 EBSI researchers have discovered that a protein called
BORIS, found in blood cells of breast cancer patients, has
good potential to be an early biomarker of breast cancer
BORIS in breast tumour tissue
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Artificial Blood
Must have a long shelf life and be free of viruses
 Designing safe products is difficult because
haemoglobin is toxic outside the red blood cell
 EBSI Researchers have created an engineered form of
haemoglobin that is less toxic
 ‘There is a ticking time bomb with blood supplies.
Partly it is due to an ageing population. There will be
fewer people who can give blood , but more people who
need it’ Professor Chris Cooper
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute
Future Benefits
It is hoped that these studies will eventually lead to real
patient benefits:
 improvements in health
 new therapies/interventions
 greater rates of patient survival
Further information on our fundraising activities:
Dr. Beverley Wilkinson (bwilk@essex.ac.uk)
Essex Biomedical Sciences Institute website:
http://www.essex.ac.uk/bs/ebsi/index.htm
Essex Biomedical
Sciences Institute