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The William Harvey Research FoundationThe functions of the William Harvey Research Institute as a medical research charity were transferred in 2000 to the William Harvey Research Foundation (www.whrf.org.uk) with Professor Jeremy Pearson OBE, FRCP as the current chairman of the Foundation’s Trustees. The goal of the Foundation is to seek funds to support research in the William Harvey Research Institute and elsewhere, which will lead to new medicines. The Research ProgrammesResearch in the William Harvey Research Institute falls into three distinct areas:
Although these may seem unrelated diseases, studies of the local regulation of blood vessels are a common theme linking these areas. The shared interest in all of these diseases is the vascular endothelium. This is a single layer of cells, which lines all blood vessels and confers a number of protective functions. In healthy individuals the endothelium optimises the circulation of blood by dilating blood vessels and preventing the formation of blood clots. During disease the functions of the endothelium are altered, and the beneficial effects are diminished. Hence, research on the function of the vascular endothelium will lead to new ways of preventing and treating a wide-range of common and disabling diseases. Because it is a common area of interest, new insights from research on one of these diseases can be tested for their relevance in these other areas. This cross-fertilisation of ideas provides added value to the research and benefits the whole organisation. Heart disease causes more than 170,000 deaths each year in the UK (1 in every 5 deaths). Damage to the endothelium is one of the first stages of coronary heart disease (often called ‘hardening of the arteries’). Current research aims to identify ways of preventing and treating this damage to the endothelium. This will lead to new medicines to reduce coronary artery disease and so prevent heart attacks. These treatments will also stop peripheral vascular disease. Rheumatism and arthritis affects around 5 million people in the UK, including about 80% of the over-75s. The main focus of research in this area is to find new and better anti-inflammatory drugs without the adverse effects of current treatments. Research groups in the William Harvey Research Institute have made substantial contributions to our understanding of the actions of the new generation of Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (COX-2 inhibitors). Other research is devoted to finding new medicines that have the highly beneficial anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids, but without harmful side effects. Diabetes is an increasingly common problem with estimates of more than 220 million sufferers World-wide by 2010. In the UK diabetes is particularly common in families of Asian descent. The majority of diabetic complications are vascular in origin such that it is an important cause of heart disease, renal disease and blindness. This is due to damage to the vascular endothelium from raised blood sugar levels and other metabolic changes occurring during diabetes. Treatment of diabetes needs to do more than manage blood sugar levels. Research needs to provide an early diagnosis of patients who are likely to suffer from these vascular complications. For this the William Harvey Research Foundation has some support from the Health and Social Research section of the National Lottery Charities Board for “Research into the early diagnosis of diabetic vascular disease”. Research is also needed to understand the cause of damage to blood vessels in diabetes, as this will lead to new medicines to prevent complications. Supporting Our ResearchThe William Harvey Research Foundation invites individuals and companies to support our important research. Your financial support will play an important role in sustaining current research and starting new projects leading to the discovery of new medicines. Unlike many charities, donations for research are used exclusively for this purpose without deductions for administrative costs. Funds can be used to support research projects, new state-of-the-art equipment, or fellowship and training programmes. A further option is the endowment of prestigious new professorial appointments. You may also prefer your donation to support a specific research area:
Please contact us to obtain further information or to discuss your specific preferences or other arrangements that you would like to make to provide lasting recognition of your support. John B Woodhead Professor Roger Corder William Harvey Research Foundation
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