For further information please visit www.uea.ac.uk/boneandjoint Patrons Henry Cator OBE FRICS DL Ms Caroline Jarrold Mark Jeffries Richard Jewson JP MA Hon.DCL Viscountess Knollys OBE DL
Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre A n appeal Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre An appeal In the UK almost three million men and women suffer from osteoporosis, and the number is rising as the population ages. Bone and joint diseases can affect us all at some time. Why Norfolk? Norfolk, with the Norwich Research Park (NRP) at its heart, is a powerhouse of scientific research with particular strengths in human health, food and the interaction between the two. With more than 3,000 people working in science, Norwich ranks fifth in the UK for the number of most highly cited scientists. This success is partly due to the unique collection of institutions clustered around UEA on the NRP. The Norwich Research Park at the very heart of Norfolk, is a powerhouse of scientific research with particular strengths in human health, food and the interaction between the two. UEA s own Faculty of Health combines three Schools: Medicine, Nursing Sciences and the Rehabilitation Sciences. All have secured enviable reputations in their relatively short existences for both research and teaching excellence. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was the first new NHS teaching hospital built in England for more than 30 years and is a joint-venture partner in UEAê s Medical School. It is now the sixth largest hospital in the UK and is strategically committed to research. Four world-leading research institutions: The Genome Analysis Centre is one of only two research centres in the country for the study of genomics in plants, animal and microbes. The Institute of Food Research is the UK s only integrated basic science provider focused on food, and an internationally recognised contributor to harnessing food for health and controlling food-related disease. The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science, microbial research and plant-based medicines, which also houses The Sainsbury Laboratory, a joint venture with UEA focused on plant diseases. Each of these Norwich institutions is unquestionably powerful in its own right. But together, they are much more than the sum of their parts and they attract some of the worldê s best researchers in medicine and the biological sciences.
Bill Fraser Professor of Medicine, UEA, Director-Designate of the Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre By supporting the new expert clinical research here we have a real opportunity to prevent these diseases in the future, and better treat them now.
Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre A n appeal Bones, joints and interdisciplinary research Today, we stand on the threshold of major breakthroughs in an area of medicine that is of the greatest importance and urgency for our rapidly ageing society: chronic diseases of the bone, tendon, cartilage and muscles. Many of these are affected by diet, which means that Norwichê s status as a world leader in research on the role of food in health gives us a distinct edge. Our existing areas of excellence include the following diseases, and will form the initial focus for The Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre. Osteoporosis and related fractures The f ragile boneê d isease is a societal time bomb. Currently in the UK almost 3 million people men as well as women ar e sufferers. We are researching early diagnosis techniques, new treatments and diet-related preventions in a bid to reduce the human and economic burden represented by this, the most common, bone disease. Norwichê s status as a world leader in research on the role of food in health gives us a distinct edge Pagetê s disease It is the country s second most common bone disorder and is highly genetically determined. It leads to pain, deformity and/or fracture as well as deafness, blindness and disability and affects roughly five per cent of the over-55s in our region. As with osteoporosis, early treatment and prevention through diet, both of which we are investigating, are the key to reducing suffering. Osteoarthritis A degenerative disease of the joints, involving both bone and cartilage. It causes extreme pain and lack of mobility, mainly in those over the age of 45, and is the most common condition for which people receive Disability Living Allowance. In the UK alone, more than six million people have painful osteoarthritis in one or both knees and eight and a half million have X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis of the spine. We believe that diet-derived bio-actives (molecules that have an impact on living tissues) may hold the secret to improving quality of life for sufferers, and we are working on identifying these chemicals. Joint replacements These are increasingly common solutions for three conditions above, but the biological responses to the replacements are comparatively little understood. In particular, hip replacement surgery is a major stress on elderly patients and one-third of those who suffer femoral neck fractures die within six months. We are working, both in the lab and with patients, to improve success and survival rates.
The Genome Analysis Centre The John Innes Centre Institute of Food Research The Sainsbury Laboratory University of East Anglia Planned site for the Norwich Medical Research Building Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre A n appeal Norwich Medical Research Building: the key that will unlock our potential The downside of our extraordinary achievements in bone and joint research is that we have outgrown our existing space. Our vision is to create the new Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre, where researchers will work with clinicians, drugs companies and patients to translate their discoveries into new tests, treatments and preventions. They will not simply be investigating dietary bio-actives, but also biomarkers (biological indicators of disease) and new imaging techniques, as well as carrying out studies with the local population. The University, in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, intends to construct a new medical research building to give the researchers, clinicians and their patients the space, facilities and equipment necessary for ground-breaking research to happen. Our vision is to create the new Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre, where researchers will work with clinicians, drugs companies and patients to translate their discoveries into new tests, treatments and preventions. The building will provide state-of-theart facilities of over 4,500m2 and will be constructed in the perfect location, adjacent to the hospital in the heart of the Norwich Research Park. It will: House research into bone and joint disease, prostate cancer, and gut disease: all of which we believe to have food and nutrition influences in both prevention and cause. Become home to the Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre. Contain laboratory space, a bio-bank for keeping essential tissue samples from patients, clinical teaching beds and all the support necessary to create the ideal environment for world-leading research. By building closer relationships between disciplines and institutions, across UEA, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the Norwich Research Park, we believe that the new Centre will make discoveries that will eventually save thousands of lives and many millions of pounds in healthcare costs. Housed within the new building, The Norfolk Bone & Joint Centre research team will be led by Professor Bill Fraser, an internationally renowned scientist and UK leading expert in clinical biochemistry, who has already made hugely significant discoveries in the treatment of bone disease.
Make the Difference Your support is vital if we are to tackle these great problems. With the new building costing 19 million to construct, we urgently need to raise a total of 3 million in gifts and donations. We have launched the Norfolk Bone & Joint Appeal to raise 1 million to support the development of The Norfolk Bone and Joint Centre. We have a window of opportunity and all the elements are in place. Planning permission has been granted and we will be commencing construction in August 2013. All that remains is for individuals, companies, trusts and foundations to join forces with Norwich s unique array of institutions and the people of East Anglia to make the most important difference of them all: human lives saved and human life enhanced. To make an online donation to the Norfolk Bone and Joint Appeal please visit www.uea.ac.uk/boneandjoint To make a gift or send a cheque payable to The Norfolk Bone and Joint Appeal please use the details given below. Development Offi ce The Registry University of East Anglia Norwich Research Park Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ Tel +44 (0)1603 593776 Email supportuea@uea.ac.uk Web www.uea.ac.uk/boneandjoint