Case Studies

The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has established itself as a world-leader in the field of public health research on alcohol and tobacco. Working in partnership with the Scottish government, SARG’s modelling of the potential health, economic and social impacts of a Minimum Unit Price (MUP) for alcohol played a critical role in the development of the Government's MUP policy. This aims to reduce rates of harm from alcohol which were double those in England and among the highest in the world. 

Introduced at 50p per unit in 2018, MUP is estimated to have led to 13.4% fewer deaths per year from conditions that are caused only by alcohol. Further SARG modelling informed the continuation of the policy and the increase to 65p MUP in 2024. The increase is predicted to result in 1,003 fewer deaths over the next 20 years compared to leaving the MUP level at 50p, or 2,672 fewer deaths than without any MUP. The majority of these gains are seen in the most deprived groups in society, leading to an overall reduction in health inequalities. 

The 15-year strategic relationship between SARG and the Scottish Government has spanned 6 separate KE projects. Key to its strength has been the commitment to understanding the specific policy questions, and the evidential requirements to support the policy process. For MUP this led to a complex project specification, with 5 distinct components, from modelling the impact of pandemic-era changes in drinking on long-term health, to estimating the impact of inflation reducing the real-terms level of the MUP and modelling the potential impact of a range of strategies to mitigate these effects. 

In addition to directly informing government policy around MUP, the work of SARG has provided core evidence in several legal cases in which the alcohol industry attempted to block its introduction. Subsequent research has demonstrated the clear public health benefits from the introduction of MUP - improving public health, saving lives and reducing health inequalities. SARG, led by Colin Angus, continues to work with both Scottish Government and third-sector organisations to ensure evidence generated in this project is used appropriately to inform ongoing discussions around alcohol policy.

Research at The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) has discovered a promising new drug that is now ready for the critical safety testing phase prior to clinical trials.  

SITraN has been working on a number of industry collaborations to unravel the biological mechanisms of neurodegeneration and find new therapies. One such collaboration is with BenevolentAI, a British Artificial Intelligence company using machine learning to conduct unbiased literature searches and scour chemical databases to suggest compounds that could have a therapeutic effect. SITraN researchers Dr Richard Mead and Dr Laura Ferraiuolo tested one potential candidate emerging from BenevolentAI (BEN-34712) in patient cell models and found that it delayed the onset of MND and prevented death of motor neurons.

 The collaboration brings together the very complementary expertise of each partner. Benevolent AI can use artificial intelligence to find the best drug targets and accelerate drug development while SITraN has some of the best models to test new drugs and give confidence that they will be successful in clinical trials.

Richard Mead said, ‘’This is an exciting development in our research for a treatment for MND. BenevolentAI came to us with some newly identified compounds discovered by their technology. Two of which were new to us in the field and, following this research, are now looking very promising. Our plan now is to conduct further detailed testing and continue to progress promising findings toward new treatments.

"The drug discovery process involves creating many different versions of the drug and testing their properties. We need drugs that are potent, stable in the body and can reach motor neurons and astrocytes in the brain and spinal cord. Benevolent AI have developed such drugs and we have worked together to find a candidate drug that has these properties and also works very well in our cell and animal models of MND. The cell models use brain cells (astrocytes) which are converted from the skin cells of MND patients. The animal model uses a mouse that carries a gene defect found in MND patients. Having a drug that works well across both these models significantly increases our confidence that it will work in patients. This has allowed Benevolent AI to move this drug into the next critical phase which will be the safety testing required before it goes into clinical trials." 

The University of Sheffield's School of Medicine and Population Health has revolutionised medical education through its community-based placement programme led by Dr Joanne Thompson. Since 2015, this initiative has integrated social accountability into the curriculum by immersing all third-year medical students in four-week placements within South Yorkshire's local community.

Each year, about 120 diverse organisations host 320 students across various settings, including schools and charities.The programme emphasises mutual benefits, fostering a symbiotic relationship between learners and hosts.

At its core is the concept of co-production, with students collaborating with placement hosts to design projects meeting both organisational objectives and learning goals. This approach has proven highly effective, with 91.9% of students reporting that their activities matched the initial project outline.

The impact on students' understanding of health inequalities is significant, with 86.9% of the 2023 cohort agreeing that the experience influenced their perspectives. Moreover, 52.2% of students plan to continue their involvement with host organisations.

Community partners benefit from students' fresh perspectives and skills, particularly in research, IT, and social media. In educational settings, medical students serve as role models for children.

Since inception, over 3,000 medical students have been placed with more than 250 local organisations working on a huge range of issues including mental health, homelessness, and disability.The programme's success is reflected in high satisfaction rates, with 95% of participants recommending the placement.

An annual 'Thank You' event strengthens partnerships, sharing good practices and facilitating discussions between partners and students.

The programme's impact extends nationally, being selected as an exemplar case study for the NHS and showcased on the University's Knowledge Exchange page.

This initiative demonstrates effective knowledge exchange between academia and community organisations, contributing to the education of socially aware medical professionals while addressing local community needs.

The University of Sheffield’s groundbreaking cancer research, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, has revolutionised cancer treatment worldwide. In 2005, researchers at the university developed a novel tailored therapy for specific cancer types, demonstrating the selective killing of tumours using an inhibitor of the DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).

This breakthrough built upon earlier work by Professor Thomas Helleday and his team in Sheffield. In 2001, they showed that DNA double-strand breaks at replication forks are predominantly repaired by homologous recombination in mammalian cells. Further studies revealed that PARP-1 inhibition increases spontaneous Rad51 foci formation, and that loss of PARP-1 activity increases single-strand breaks, potentially converting to double-strand breaks at replication forks.

These findings led to the crucial discovery of exploiting synthetic lethality in BRCA-deficient cancer cells, marking a significant advancement in personalised cancer therapy. Recognizing the potential impact of this research, Sheffield University took swift action to protect and commercialise the innovation. In July 2003, the university filed a patent application for the use of PARP inhibitors as a targeted therapy for tumours with BRCA2 mutations.

The commercialisation process progressed rapidly. The university licensed the patents to KUDOS Pharmaceuticals, which was subsequently acquired by AstraZeneca in 2006. AstraZeneca, collaborating with researchers at Newcastle University and King's College London, developed Olaparib, marketed as Lynparza®. This drug underwent successful clinical trials and received worldwide licensing, translating Sheffield's laboratory discovery into a tangible treatment option for cancer patients.

The global impact of this research has been profound. Currently, four PARP inhibitors developed by several leading pharmaceutical companies are clinically approved for the treatment of various cancers. These treatments have extended progression-free survival for patients in 73 countries. The economic impact is equally significant, with Lynparza® alone generating £1.2 billion in sales since 2017.

Moreover, the disclosure of Sheffield's findings has stimulated intense investment in cancer research and development, revolutionising approaches to cancer therapy across the pharmaceutical industry. This case exemplifies successful knowledge exchange between academia and industry, highlighting the crucial role of university research in driving medical advancements.

The journey of Sheffield University's PARP inhibitor research underscores the importance of strategic commercialisation in translating scientific discoveries into clinical applications. It also demonstrates the significant impact that targeted funding, such as that provided by Yorkshire Cancer Research, can have in enabling transformative research that benefits patients worldwide.