Leading health researchers in Oxford have been recognised in a prestigious national competition. Eight professors have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of their “outstanding contribution to clinical and applied health and social care ... READ MORE
News for Life-saving Vaccines
World-first NHS trial for universal flu vaccine
The world’s first widespread human testing of a flu vaccine which NIHR Oxford BRC researchers hope will protect more over 65-year-olds against influenza has begun in the NHS. More than 10,000 people aged 65 and over will be asked to take part in a study supported by the National Institute for ... READ MORE
New typhoid vaccine offers hope of protection for children globally
A new conjugate vaccine against typhoid has been proven in trials in Oxford to be safe and effective in preventing the disease, and can be used to protect both adults and children. A study published in The Lancet is the first clinical trial to show that immunisation with a new vaccine called ... READ MORE
Pregnant women to help test vaccine against childhood virus
Pregnant women receiving antenatal care in the Women’s Centre at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital (JR) may be asked to take part in a world-first clinical trial to find a vaccine against a common and potentially serious viral infection in babies. Women are being asked if they would like to take ... READ MORE
BRC researcher honoured for Africa radio project
A researcher supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Researcher has been recognised by the University of Oxford for work to communicate with children in Africa about the Ebola outbreak. Dr Matthew Snape was one of 12 winners in the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement with ... READ MORE
Data debate video and podcast now online
A video of an hour-long debate on issues around mass sharing of patient data to support research and improve patient care can now be viewed online. “Good to share? Data, research, privacy and the NHS” was held as part of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Public Open Day – Celebrating ... READ MORE
Prostate cancer vaccine trial seeks volunteers
Oxford University scientists have started a clinical trial to test a new vaccine against prostate cancer and are looking for volunteers to take part. The first four participants have already received this experimental vaccine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, and the second trial site has just ... READ MORE
Volunteers sought for childhood infection vaccine study
Oxford University researchers are looking for healthy adults to take part in the initial BRC-supported trial of a potential new vaccine against a virus considered to be a crucial missing element in the childhood vaccination programme. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) kills around 200,000 people ... READ MORE
First trial for childhood illness vaccine
Oxford University researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have successfully completed the first human trial of a vaccine for a common virus that is particularly dangerous to infants. After fifty years of failed attempts around the world, a vaccine for respiratory ... READ MORE
Oxford Ebola vaccine study moves to next phase
Oxford University doctors and scientists are performing the second phase of clinical studies of an experimental Ebola vaccine regimen, with part of the study supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The study is part of the EBOVAC2 project, a collaborative programme involving the ... READ MORE
BRC supports Oxford Ebola summit
The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre is among organisations supporting a conference in the city next month about the global response to Ebola. Researchers, Government leaders and industry professionals who led the worldwide fight against Ebola are to come together in Oxford for the first ... READ MORE
World-first TB vaccination trials enter next stage
THE first ever trials of an aerosol vaccination for tuberculosis in Oxford have shown promising results and volunteers are now being sought for further studies. University of Oxford researchers working at the Churchill Hospital found superior immune responses in the lungs from the trial of a ... READ MORE
Scientists showcase search for a meningitis vaccine
THE FIGHT to tackle meningitis was highlighted at a Vaccines and Deadly Diseases Day. The all-day event for young people on Friday at Oxford University Museum of Natural History was part of this year’s Oxfordshire Science Festival. Among those taking part were Oxford University scientists ... READ MORE
Oxford leads search for longer lasting flu vaccine
Oxford leads search for longer lasting flu vaccine Researchers at Oxford University are leading the search for better flu vaccines. Thousands of people in Oxfordshire have already had the jab to protect them against this year’s strain of flu – but they will need to do it again next year to ... READ MORE
How has the pneumococcus bacteria evolved after the introduction of a childhood vaccine?
Researchers from the University of Oxford and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used the latest DNA sequencing techniques to investigate how pneumococcus bacteria evolved after the introduction of a childhood vaccine in 2000 in the USA. Streptococcus pneumoniae infections ... READ MORE
First trial of a new hepatitis C vaccine shows promise
A new vaccine against the chronic liver disease hepatitis C has shown promising results in a first clinical trial in humans, Oxford University researchers report. The vaccine, based on a modified cold virus, generated immune responses similar to those seen in the minority of people who are ... READ MORE
Final child vaccinated in clinical trial of new TB vaccine
The vaccination of the final child marks a significant milestone in the development of the MVA85A/AERAS-485 vaccine candidate, the most advanced of any of the new generation of preventative TB vaccines currently being investigated. Tuberculosis kills 1.8 million people per year, and more than 2 ... READ MORE
Universal flu vaccine developed in Oxford
Scientists at Oxford University have successfully tested a universal flu vaccine that could work against all known strains of the illness, taking a significant step in the fight against a disease that affects billions of people each year. The treatment – using a new technique and tested for the ... READ MORE
Swine flu clinical trial results published
Last autumn the Oxford Vaccine Group was the lead site on a novel influenza H1N1 (‘Swine Flu’) vaccine study that enrolled over 900 children in 5 weeks. This rapid recruitment enabled us to provide data to the Department of Health in time to directly inform the national ‘Swine Flu’ immunisation ... READ MORE
New method makes vaccines stable at tropical temperatures
A simple and cheap way of making vaccines stable – even at tropical temperatures – has been developed by scientists at Oxford University and Nova Bio-Pharma Technologies. The British technology has the potential to revolutionise vaccination efforts, particularly in the developing world where ... READ MORE