Musculoskeletal disease is a major burden on society and healthcare worldwide.

Researchers in this theme are experts in diseases of the musculoskeletal system characterized by unwanted inflammation.

 

What We Cover in This Theme

We have established world-leading research programmes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjogren’s syndrome (PSS). Both RA and PSS are exemplars of so-called immune-mediated rheumatic diseases, in which the immune system promotes unwanted inflammation that affects musculoskeletal health. Along with other immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) these problems often occur alongside other chronic conditions; they are a major barrier to healthy ageing and a leading cause of health-related disability.

Priority Research Areas

Prediction and Prevention

Inflammation

Fatigue

Our strategy addresses two priority research areas for IMIDs generally:

  • Prediction and prevention. We will extend our understanding of the biological ‘triggers’ that lead to the initiation of unwanted chronic inflammation, and how to screen for them in the general population before they cause damage. An ability to do so will be a major step towards preventing chronic disease.
  • Inflammation. Even though people diagnosed with a particular disease often have a common set of symptoms and features, the underlying biology may vary greatly. Conversely, the same inflammatory pathways may contribute to more than one disease. This explains why a given treatment can be used to treat more than one condition, yet is not effective for everyone with one of those conditions. Re-visiting disease classification with a greater emphasis on underlying biology should enable more personalised treatment strategies rather than the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that has not served IMID patients well until now.
  • Fatigue. Fatigue is a complex phenomenon and a huge burden to people with IMIDs but little is known about the underlying biology and effective treatment is not yet available. We will prioritise new ways to measure fatigue to accelerate the development of new approaches to manage it in the future.
MDIM photo

The Team

We bring together world-renowned clinical academics with broad expertise across a range of musculoskeletal conditions, who carry out experimental and translational medicine projects, particularly in the field of immunotherapy, and collaborate widely.

 

How We Carry Out Research

Our research combines state-of-the-art technology with extensively characterised patient cohorts across a range of conditions (including the North East Early Arthritis Cohort). Our partnerships deliver a comprehensive research portfolio, spanning from basic laboratory science through to first-in-man experimental medicine clinical trials.

By embedding our research activity within everyday NHS services, we are well placed to address those questions that are most important to patients, their carers and health professionals alike. And by working closely with colleagues across BRC themes, we are committed to deploying the research databases and infrastructure we have developed over many years, alongside state-of-the-art laboratory and digital technologies at our disposal in Newcastle, for the benefit of IMID patients more broadly. 

 

Who We Work With

We all contribute to the Musculoskeletal Services Unit at Newcastle Hospitals, and together we are recognised as a European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Centre of Excellence. 

We also work very closely with The Patient and public Involvement and engagement in Musculoskeletal reSearch (PIMS) group,  a highly-valued group of patients, carers and members of the public. Together we co-develop research ideas, develop funding applications, carry out research and disseminate the results.

We have additionally developed a number of close collaborations with academic and industrial partners around the UK and internationally, to enrich the scope and impact of our research, including:

Partners across the UK via the RACE And BRAGGSS projects.

Partners across the EU via the SPIDeRR and  SINFONIA projects.

Industry colleagues including Pfizer, GSK and Janssen.

Theme Leadership and Contacts

  • A portrait photo of Arthur Pratt

    Dr Arthur Pratt

    Theme Co-Lead for Musculoskeletal Disease and Inflammation Medicine 

  • A portrait photo of John Isaacs

    Professor John Isaacs

    Theme Co-Lead for Musculoskeletal Disease and Inflammation Medicine

  • A portrait photo of Ken Baker

    Dr Ken Baker

    BRC Leadership Track for the Musculoskeletal Disease and Inflammation Medicine Theme.

  • Dr Faye Cooles

    BRC Leadership Track for the Musculoskeletal Disease and Inflammation Medicine Theme

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in Musculoskeletal reSearch (PIMS)

PIMS is a group of patients and members of the public. They work with experts at Newcastle University who carry out musculoskeletal research.

PIMS provides a forum for direct interaction with researchers. Members learn more about Newcastle University's fantastic research, and can provide feedback and advice to researchers. By combining leading science with lived experience, we can produce high quality and relevant research.

 

Working with Patients and Public

This film describes the PIMS group (Patient and Public Involvement in Musculoskeletal Services) and how involvement from patients and the public is so vital in shaping research focus for the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre and other research projects at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University.

 

We strongly believe that patients and public should be involved in every step of research.

We hope to make research better by working together with Research Into Inflammatory Arthritis Centre Versus Arthritis (RACE) and our patient partners, and we’re always on the look-out for new, enthusiastic people to get involved.

The content below provides further information on PIMS, but if there is anything else you need to know, please contact us on 0191 283 9600, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or follow us on Twitter: @PIMS_Ncl

Postal Address: PIMS, Rheumatology Clinical Research Team, Room 49 Level 1 Education centre, Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road, High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN.

 

Information for Patients and the Public

It is crucial for patients and the public to have a say in research, especially when this is being done on their behalf. The Health Research Authority (HRA) describe this process in more detail.

How it works:

We invite members to attend regular meetings. These take place in January, April, July and October, with many other meetings taking place in between.
At meetings, researchers will discuss their projects and members are able to ask questions, give feedback, influence research proposals and learn more about the work being done.


Everybody with an interest is welcome to join and contribute. PIMS may be of particular interest to people who are affected by, care for, or have friends and family affected by musculoskeletal conditions.

The conditions we study are (but are not limited to) rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren’s Syndrome, fatigue, lupus and ankylosing spondylitis/axial spondylarthritis or orthopaedic related conditions such as trauma, degenerative disease, arthroplasty, spinal conditions and sarcoma.

PIMS is managed by a team of patient partners, researchers, clinicians and research staff. It is co-ordinated by Dr Arthur Pratt, Dr Kenneth Baker and Leigh Romaniuk.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals and the Musculoskeletal Research Group are actively involved in furthering our understanding of musculoskeletal conditions, with the aim of improving diagnosis, care and treatments.

 

Information for Researchers

Why is patient and public involvement important in research? There are many benefits of patient and public involvement in research.

People with lived experience of a condition can improve research design using their practical knowledge and highlight if elements lack feasibility.

Collaborative study designs can promote recruitment and retention of participants. When participants are more engaged, the data obtained can be of higher quality. This can all contribute to findings being more relevant and having the potential to influence clinical care and ultimately, patient outcomes.

PIMS offers the opportunity to receive feedback on your research and research plans from patient research partners. Members may provide feedback on grant proposals, research findings or the direction of your research in general.

More information about PPI, and resources for applicants to NIHR research programmes, can be found here

If you would like to involve patients and the public in your musculoskeletal research, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 0191 283 9600.