Sunday 18 May, 2007

Why it's so important to help raise funds for Action Medical Research

Help us raise £120,000 for a special project.  This year all Etape funds raised will help Professor Jane Norman and her team's research into Premature Birth.

Premature birth is the leading cause of death and disability in newborn babies and infants, often as a result of immature lung development in the baby. Premature babies may suffer from cerebral palsy, learning difficulties and damage to the lung and other organs. The families of babies born prematurely can also be profoundly affected by the stress of caring for them.  Up to 50,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK.

Proteins called Toll-like receptors are one of the ways that the human body recognises danger signals such as infection. It is possible that by stopping these receptors working, premature labour could be prevented.  This work could also limit the process of inflammation, further reducing the chance of damage to the baby’s brain and lungs.  Before medicines can be given to achieve this, it is necessary to have a clearer understanding of what would happen in the womb if such medicines were used. This project will look at which of these receptors are present in the uterus and what happens when they are treated with drugs that specifically affect them.

Action Medical Research is a national medical research charity dedicated to preventing and treating disease and disability by funding vital medical research into conditions affecting both children and adults.

As an organisation we have;

• Made a major contribution to the British polio vaccine.
• Were responsible for much of the testing of the rubella (German measles) vaccine.
• Pioneered hip replacement surgery (the Charnley hip).
• Introduced the medical application of ultrasound.
• Discovered the importance of folic acid in the prevention of spina bifida.
• Contributed to the development of monitoring systems routinely used on the brain (following traumatic injury).

With such a breadth of research taking place, Action Medical Research has a relevance to every person living in the UK.