12 days of Research - 2024

At the NIHR, research is 24/7. Every day we have the huge privilege of funding, recruiting and delivering hundreds of innovative, groundbreaking studies that extend our collective knowledge across a wide range of topics. 

2024 has been another very exciting year for us, with studies into AI, mRNA vaccines, mental health and much, much more receiving our support - ensuring the UK remains one of the most exciting places in the world to do health and care research.  

To round off the year, here are just a few of our favourite NIHR research stories that hit the headlines. See you in 2025!

Digital app significantly improves speech in stroke patients

A new digital app that improves speech for people after brain damage has been developed with support from the NIHR. The app, iTalkBetter, analyses the speech of users with the language disorder, aphasia, caused by a brain injury or stroke.  It then provides them with feedback, allowing them to practise words in their own time and without limits. The app was found to improve users’ ability to name 200 commonly used items and also spontaneous speech.

Psoriasis drug shows promise for treating childhood diabetes

A commonly used psoriasis drug has been found to be effective in helping to treat children and adolescents with early-stage type-1 diabetes. Researchers have shown that the drug Ustekinumab, which can be injected by psoriasis patients at home, preserves bodily production of insulin in people with type-1 diabetes. The discovery helps bring the goal of managing type-1 diabetes without insulin closer.

Using everyday foods as a treatment for allergies

Giving small daily doses of milk or peanuts to children who are allergic to them can help train their bodies to tolerate the allergens, according to early results from a new trial. Currently, some children are given small amounts of the food or drink they are allergic to under medical supervision in order to train the patient’s body to tolerate the substance. This approach can prevent food allergies developing in the first place but this new trial shows that everyday foods can be a treatment for food allergies. Researchers hope this approach will enable children with food allergies to live without the fear of a potentially fatal reaction. 

Preventing loneliness and depression using phone-based care

Structured telephone-based psychological care can prevent loneliness and depression in older people, a new study finds. The study showed that when older people received weekly phone calls from a specially trained coach over 8 weeks, their mental health and quality of life improved. Participants in the study reported their levels of emotional loneliness fell by 21% over three months and the benefits remained after the phone calls had stopped, suggesting a lasting impact. The researchers also found that levels of depression reduced significantly and the benefits were greater than those seen for antidepressants.

Baby born deaf can hear after breakthrough gene therapy

A girl born deaf can now hear unaided after participating in a world-first gene therapy trial.

The child has a condition, auditory neuropathy, where a faulty gene causes problems sending sound signals to the brain. Gene therapy can now allow a working copy of the faulty OTOF gene to be delivered into the inner ear leading to ‘near normal’ hearing 6 months after treatment.

Extra supplements during pregnancy could promote healthy weight in childhood

Taking a nutritional supplement before and during pregnancy could promote healthy weight in childhood, a study has found. The supplement, which includes a range of B & D vitamins and probiotics, was found to reduce rates of obesity in children as they got older. As obesity increases the risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer, maintaining a healthy weight at a young age could reduce the incidents of these conditions later in life.

New shingles vaccine protects against dementia

The new shingles vaccine ‘Shingrix’ is more protective against dementia than the previous shingles vaccine. Research has found that Shingrix, which is being offered by the NHS to all elderly people and certain other groups, led to a 17% reduction in dementia diagnoses in the 6 years after the new shingles vaccination was administered. This equals 5 to 9 more months lived without dementia.

Blood test to stop the spread of TB

Researchers have taken a major step towards identifying millions of ‘silent spreaders’ of tuberculosis (TB). A new study has identified a group of biological markers that are found in high levels among infectious patients. Scientists hope that the findings will pave the way for a simple test to speed up diagnosis of TB. This could help stop the spread of the infection, which affects an estimated 10 million people around the world each year.

Switching to clean fuels in Africa could reduce premature deaths

Switching from polluting fuels such as charcoal to gas to clean gas could bring significant health gains in sub-Saharan African. Across the region, around 80% of homes currently use solid fuels for cooking, heating and lighting. These fuels include firewood, charcoal and kerosene. Pollution from burning these causes more than 680,000 premature deaths each year. New research now shows that using clean gas for cooking or heating can lower the risk of death and a range of health conditions, including pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and asthma.

Nasal sprays reduce symptoms and duration of cold and flu

An NIHR-funded study has found that over-the-counter nasal sprays are effective at reducing the symptoms and duration of flu and colds in at-risk patients. They could also reduce antibiotic use. By testing nearly 14,000 adults across the country, it was discovered that nasal sprays shortened the duration of the illness by 20% which resulted in a 20-30% reduction in days off from work.

Playing instrument linked to better brain health in older adults

Practising and reading music helps sustain good memory and the ability to solve complex tasks in later life, finds research funded by the NIHR. By looking at the brains of people who either played an instrument or sung throughout their lives and comparing them to people who hadn't engaged in music, they showed that brain health was better in those who played and read music. Playing different types of instruments was also shown to lead to different skills, such as goal setting and numerical memory, being retained.

Hope for winter vomiting bug vaccine

The first vaccine for norovirus is currently being trialled across the UK, supported by the NIHR. The trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of the vaccine which is the first in the world for this vomiting bug. Norovirus is highly infectious and puts the NHS under huge strain every winter, costing taxpayers around £100 million a year. It’s hoped that a potential vaccine could prevent illness and ease pressure in our hospitals.