The multidisciplinary centre works in collaboration with a number of institutions and Departments both overseas and in the UK and it forms part of the editorial base of the Cochrane Dermatology Review Group. Results are used to generate new therapeutic products and molecular diagnostics. It has developed ideas from basic chemical, biological and pharmacological research through applied research in screening, toxicology, pharmacokinetics and formulation to clinical trial. The present programme has made significant advances in the causes of cachexia, the wasting which accompanies many cancers and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This work has provided a mechanistic basis for the condition and current work is aimed at the development of diagnostic aids and specific treatment.
Clinical trials are already underway.
Microbiology and Molecular Biology is centred upon the molecular basis of infectious diseases and the properties of organisms, which determine their virulence. Molecular interactions within the cell are also studied, with particular interest in the protein-DNA interactions of zinc fingers. The molecular basis of pathogenicity is studied both from the viewpoint of microbial structure and properties in response to the growth environment and study of the immunological response of patients to infection. Mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics and host defences are studied. The immediate practical applications of the research projects are in the areas of diagnosis, surveillance and treatment in infectious diseases.