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This page is a news release published by Wrexham County Borough Council.
Content Author: pressoffice@wrexham.gov.uk

03 August 2010

Pioneering health project gets underway in Wrexham

An ambitious and far-reaching project to improve the prevention and treatment of a wide range of painful and life-threatening illnesses gets underway in Wrexham this week.

UK Biobank is asking 40-69 year-olds across the Wrexham area to give up a few hours of their time to help scientists understand why some people get illnesses like cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia, depression, arthritis and others do not.

The work will pave the way for new treatments and prevention strategies.

Funding for the project includes a grant of £230,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government to build a mobile UK Biobank assessment unit. People who agree to take part will spend about two hours in the vehicle where, using state of the art equipment, they will provide information on their health and lifestyles.

They will also have body measurements taken (such as weight, height, blood pressure) and donate small samples of blood, urine and saliva for long term storage and analysis (including genetic). Participants also give permission for their health to be followed for the next 30 years. Samples are stored in a high-tech 'freezer' - the biggest of its kind - in Stockport.

The resource will allow scientists to better understand why some people get particular diseases and others do not, paving the way for better prevention and treatment strategies.

The UK Biobank mobile assessment unit is stationed in the Waterworld car park, Chester Street, Wrexham thanks to the support of Wrexham County Borough Council.

Wrexham County Borough Council's Strategic Director Philip Walton said:

"We are delighted to have the UK Biobank here in Wrexham. Its role in assisting the scientific research into a wide range of diseases and illnesses, is of great benefit to us all and I am pleased that Wrexham residents will have the opportunity to contribute so positively to this work."

UK Biobank's has recruited more than 500,000 people into the project so far.

"This is a magnificent project and I hope people in Wrexham will support it," said Dr Tim Sprosen, UK Biobank Chief Scientist. "Its power is in having so many generous people take part and allowing us to follow their health over many years. It is the most detailed study of its kind ever undertaken and will provide a treasure trove of health information in years to come," he said.

Dr Rory Collins, UK Biobank Principal Investigator and BHF Professor of Medicine, Oxford University, said: "We all know people who have suffered from painful and life-threatening illnesses. The good news is that there is something positive we can do about it - joining UK Biobank is one small step for now that will have a big impact on health care in the future."

UK Biobank is supported by many of the country's top health research charities, including British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Cancer Research UK and the British Lung Foundation. It is funded by the Wellcome Trust health charity, Medical Research Council, Department of Health the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government. The project is hosted by the University of Manchester and is a collaborative effort between a large number of UK universities, with scientific input and review from top researchers around the world.

Participation is voluntary and by invitation only; many people aged 40-69 living within about a 15 mile radius of Wrexham will be asked if they wish to take part in the next few months. Participants can withdraw at any time should they wish to do so. Travel expenses can be claimed.

UK Biobank has secured approval from the appropriate ethics and regulatory groups in relation to its research remit, recruitment process and the storage of blood and urine samples and access to participants' medical records, with their consent, over many years.

UK Biobank is governed by an Ethics & Governance Framework and its activities are monitored by an independent Ethics & Governance Council to help look after the public interest. The Council is chaired by Graeme Laurie, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh.

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