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 Swansea this week.
UK Biobank is asking 40-69 year-olds across the Swansea 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 treatment 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.
Health Minister Edwina Hart, who officially launches the assessment centre on Wednesday, said: “Our focus in Wales is to invest in the prevention of ill health as well as the treatment and care of illnesses.
“Through the Biobank project we will be able to gain a greater understanding of serious conditions such as cancer and diabetes, and why people develop them.
“This will not only help to prevent people becoming ill in the first place but it will also provide us with vital information to help shape our health services.”
The UK Biobank mobile unit is stationed in the Swansea Council Civic Centre West car park in Oystermouth Road. UK Biobank is delighted to have the support of the Council in rolling out the project in this part of Wales.
Swansea Council Chief Executive Mr Paul Smith said: “We are delighted to have the UK Biobank in Swansea for the period of time.
“The role of the Biobank, to assist the scientific research into a wide range of diseases and illnesses, is of great benefit to us all, and I am grateful that residents of the Swansea will be able to contribute so positively to this work.”
Swansea Council Leader, Cllr Chris Holley said: “I am sure we all know people who have suffered as a result of medical problems.
“I am delighted Swansea residents are now getting a chance to play their role in medical developments of the future.”
UK Biobank’s goal is to recruit 500,000 people into the project. It is just 70,000 short of this massive target, which it hopes to reach in the summer. Around 18,000 people have already joined UK Biobank in Cardiff.
“This is a magnificent project and I hope people in Swansea will support it,” said Dr John Gallacher, Cardiff University. “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.
“I am grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government and to Swansea Council for their foresight and support. A mobile unit will allow us to target harder to reach communities to ensure that the Welsh people are able to play their part in this world-beating study.”
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 15-20 mile radius of Swansea 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.
For more information visit www.ukbiobank.ac.uk
