Taking part in clinical research is ‘helping build a healthier future for everyone’

Every volunteer who takes part in clinical research at Sheffield Children’s plays a vital role in testing cutting-edge treatments and therapies, improving clinical practices and even saving lives.  

16-year-old Mahn, from London, knows this first-hand. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2020, he joined a clinical trial testing a new treatment for children.  

Five years on, he’s sharing his story — not just to talk about his own journey, but to inspire others to take part and make a difference. 

After Mahn had received his diagnosis, his dad Harj, who is also diabetic, began searching for the details of a clinical trial he had read about online.  

Harj had kept a close eye on news about research and clinical trials into the condition, knowing it often provides opportunities for earlier access to cutting edge treatments and therapies. 

He said: “I’d read about a trial for a new drug for type 1 diabetes but remembered that you only had six weeks post-diagnosis to get started, so time really was of the essence for us.  

“Unfortunately, our local hospital in London had closed its research trials due to the COVID outbreak. I discovered Sheffield Children’s was another site for the study and got in touch with the team to find out more. That was our first contact with the wonderful Bee, one of the fantastic research nurses at Sheffield Children’s.” 

Despite the country being in the grip of lockdown due to the COVID pandemic, the research team at Sheffield Children’s worked tirelessly to ensure Mahn and his family could be seen in time.  

“Bee and the team were absolutely amazing,” said Harj. “Despite the lockdown, they managed to secure us accommodation, so we could travel up to Sheffield as a family. Thankfully, it was worth all the effort, and after the initial tests, Mahn was eligible to take part in the trial.” 

After his initial stay of two weeks, Mahn’s treatment involved a second two-week stay in January 2021, along with regular day-long visits for monitoring tests. 

Mahn said: “Over a year and a half, I came up to Sheffield every six months for blood tests and other tests to see how I was doing. The trial was meant to finish after 18 months, but it was extended in December 2021, so I kept coming up to Sheffield every three months until May. 

“All the staff have been really amazing. Taking part in a clinical research trial has been such a good experience and I’m really pleased I was given this opportunity.  

“Whether or not the drug has helped me, I hope the results from this trial will help more children and people with type 1 diabetes in the future. Without clinical research, there wouldn’t be new treatments – it really does change lives and I’m so glad I could be a part of that.” 

Research at Sheffield Children’s

Clinical trials are a vital piece in the puzzle of creating new treatments. They allow researchers to test new medicines or explore the use of existing medicines in different ways. 

There are currently over 300 research studies active at Sheffield Children’s dedicated Clinical Research Facility (CRF) as part of our commitment to creating a healthier future for children and young people. 

We are also home to the only NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) in the UK that is dedicated to the delivery of commercial clinical trials treating children and young people. The NIHR Sheffield Children’s CRDC will mean even more children and young people will have access to cutting-edge treatments through participating in clinical trials. 

Dr Neil Wright, Lead Consultant for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Sheffield Children’s added: “Research is how we turn ideas into progress. Every clinical trial is a step toward better treatments, earlier diagnoses, and improved quality of life for children.  

“Without young people like Mahn taking part, we simply couldn’t move medicine forward to create healthier futures for children and young people.” 

If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved in research, visit www.sheffieldchildens.nhs.uk/research