GI and Liver Diseases Medical and Surgical Research

Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre (NDDC)

Aims

The group of researchers at the Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre (NDDC) aims to conduct international quality research relating to gastrointestinal and liver disease. This includes clinical trials and population studies and to translate laboratory medicine and surgery into clinical interventions which improve the care and lives of our patients.

We also aim to provide a focus and facilitate collaboration for GI and liver research throughout the University and local NHS institutions.

NDDCBRU-group
 

Research issues

Gastrointestinal and liver diseases are among the most important causes of death and suffering worldwide:

  • GI and liver infections such as Clostridium difficile, Helicobacter pylori (the cause of peptic ulcers and stomach cancer) and hepatitis C virus (a major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer) are scourges of the 20th and 21st centuries
  • Post-infective conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, cause suffering to millions, particularly in developed countries like the UK
  • Colon, stomach, oesophageal, pancreatic and liver cancer are the highest causes of cancer deaths in developed and developing countries (colon cancer is now the commonest cancer in the UK)
  • Oesophageal and bile duct cancers are the fastest increasing of all cancers
  • Deaths from chronic liver disease in the UK continue to rise
  • Liver disease is now the 5th largest cause of death in the U.K. The average age of death from liver disease is 59 years, compared to 82-84 years for heart & lung disease or stroke
  • Other diseases of the gut, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, cause immense suffering and have no permanent cure

What we are doing about....

Liver disease

We are developing tests to detect liver disease at early stages and monitor the progression of disease using biomarkers and novel MRI techniques (studies include the Scarred Liver Project.and 3CN).

Please click here to see further infornation about the Liver Physiology & Metabolism Research Group and our current research studies or visit the nottinghambrc.nihr.ac.uk website.

 

Gastric disorders

Unexplained digestive symptoms after a meal are common and can be disabling with a major impact on a person’s quality of life.

We are carrying out studies (e.g. GI Imaging) to help us to understand the cause of these “digestive” symptoms, provide a positive diagnosis of these conditions and, potentially, lead to new treatments.

 

Perioperative sepsis

Perioperative sepsis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in jaundiced patients.

We are studying the adverse metabolic changes accompanying surgery and ways to ameliorate them.

 

Find out more about our ongoing and completed studies.

Outcomes

  1. Award of funding for a Biomedical Research Unit by the National Institute of Health Research, focussing on patient-based translational research, particularly GI and liver infections and post-infectious conditions. 
  2. Publications in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Gut and Gastroenterology. Please see the publication records under individual member’s profiles.
  3. Early studies in Nottingham established the scientific basis for the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Expertise

General

  • Clinical focus
  • Co-operation between researchers with different expertise
  • Collaborations within Nottingham, nationally and internationally 
 

Methodological

  • Strong laboratory research base
  • GI Clinical Trials Unit
  • Translational and clinical GI/liver research
  • Epidemiology and health services research expertise
  • Diagnostic research in biomarkers 
  • Phenotyped cohorts of GI/liver disease
 

Subjects

  • GI cancer pathogenesis and prevention, particularly colon and stomach cancer
  • Helicobacter pylori , aspirin/NSAID damage, peptic ulceration and upper GI disease
  • Neurogastroenterology and irritable bowel syndrome
  • Inflammatory bowel disease 
  • GI infections, including Clostridium difficle 
  • Advanced endoscopy research 
  • Severe surgical sepsis and wound infection 
  • Pancreatitis 
  • Viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C 
  • Liver cirrhosis 
  • Fatty liver 
  • Drug induced liver disease
  • Alcoholic liver disease
  • Colorectal cancer screening
  • Treatment for anal fissure 
  • New treatments for faecal incontinence
  • Anal cancer and pre-cancer 
  • Gastrointestinal physiology services 
  • Treating iron deficiency anaemia 
  • Sepsis
  • Jaundice
  • Fluid balance
  • Nutrition
  • Pancreatitis
 

         Projects

 https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine/research/research-area.

News

 

>> More news 

Events

The Gastroenterology Journal Club meeting takes place in the Surgical Library E' Floor West Block QMC at 08:00 every Friday morning.

If you would like more information regarding the above, or to be added via a Teams link, please contact:-nddcbru@nottingham.ac.uk

More events

Related research

Contact

Group members

 

 

 

 

 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/liver-disease/

Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre

The University of Nottingham
E Floor, West Block, Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2UH


telephone: +44 (0) 115 82 31090
email:nddcbru@nottingham.ac.uk