This new capability was first put to use for volunteers participating in the BIO-004 study, which is investigating how the immune system responds to repeated malaria infections.
Cushla Cooper, Clinical Operational Lead at the EMCRF said: ‘We are continually striving to expand our support for research across Oxford and beyond. We were excited to receive our first volunteers for the BIO-004 study and play a role in collecting the necessary samples.’
The BIO-004 study is a collaborative effort funded by the UKRI-MRC Experimental Medicine involving researchers from the Institute of Immunology and Infection Research at the University of Edinburgh and the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, along with the Oxford Vaccine Group. Together, they aim to understand how natural immunity develops to repeated malaria infections.
Dr Andrew Duncan, Clinical Research Fellow on the BIO-004 study, explained the study's unique approach: ‘In this study, participants will undergo a malaria challenge (a carefully controlled administration of malaria infection) on three occasions, before having a bone marrow biopsy procedure after the first or third infection. The procedure itself involves taking a small liquid sample from the pelvis bone at the lower back, as well as a tiny 1-2cm solid sample, all under local anaesthetic. This allows us to look at the immune response in the bone marrow, comparing the first versus third malaria infections.”
Professor Angela Minassian, Chief Investigator of the BIO-004 study, added: ‘Malaria continues to claim the lives of over half a million children each year. This research will be informative for future preventative therapies and treatment strategies. We are grateful to the EMCRF staff who expertly looked after our study participants, the haematology doctors from OUH NHS Foundation Trust who performed the procedure, as well as all our study participants. Without them this work would not be possible.’
In preparation, the nursing team at the EMCRF received training from the bone marrow service at the nearby Churchill Hospital, ensuring they were well equipped to support the procedure.
Kafayah Babatunde, clinical research nurse at the EMCRF said: ‘We play a crucial role in supporting participants before, during, and after bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. While the procedure can be uncomfortable, our medical researchers ensure that local anaesthetics and Entonox are provided as needed to meet individual needs. With low background noise and the option for participants to choose their music, we create a more comfortable environment. I engage participants in conversation, fostering a nurse-patient relationship that helps reduce anxiety and distracts from the procedure, which many say is less painful than they expected. We are pleased to have the opportunity to enhance our skills and support the expanding services for medical researchers.’
Dr Wiebke Nahrendorf, one of the senior scientists at the University of Edinburgh running the BIO-004 trial said: ‘Most of the immune response actually happens within tissues like the inside of our bones. Most experimental medicine studies only obtain blood samples – which means we miss out on understanding how the immune system coordinates its fight against pathogens. Thanks to our brave BIO-004 participants we can for the first time assess the immune response to malaria infection in action inside the bone marrow (we will literally get a high-resolution image of it!). This is a huge leap forward for human immunology research.’
‘This is another great example of the collaboration between Oxford University and the NHS Trust,’ said Cushla, ‘We’re proud to be part of this important research effort.’