Currently recruiting

Help us protect older babies and toddlers against respiratory infections in the future.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust are seeking babies and toddlers ages 6 months to less than 22 months to participate in a clinical study testing a nasal spray RSV vaccine.

RSV is a common seasonal virus that infects nearly all children. Most of the time it causes a mild illness, like a cold, but for some children it leads to more severe lung problems, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

RSV vaccines have recently been approved for the older adult population, but no vaccine is available yet for children. Our youngest and most vulnerable patients still need a vaccine for RSV prevention.

Contact the study staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital at research.sheffchild@nhs.net or call 0114 305 3136

Adrenal insufficiency is the medical term for the body’s adrenal glands not producing enough of the vital stress hormone, cortisol. The current diagnostic test for adrenal insufficiency (Short Synacthen Test) is invasive, requiring hospital attendance, an intravenous injection and blood tests.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Children’s Hospital have developed a needle-free alternative. It uses a nasal spray instead of the injection and saliva rather than blood tests. As part of our development studies, funded by the Medical Research Council, we need to demonstrate that our new test using a nasal spray works as effectively as the Short Synacthen Test.

To do this we are asking volunteers to attend the hospital for four visits, at each visit they will either receive an active drug or a placebo through a nasal spray or by a needle.

We are looking to recruit healthy people aged between 4 and 69 years to attend the Clinical Research Facility at either Sheffield Children’s Hospital (children) or the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (adults) for four visits lasting approximately 3.5 hours at each visit. All reasonable expenses to attend each visit will be reimbursed.

If you are interested in finding out more about this study please contact our Research Team on r.innovation@nhs.net

We are seeking recruits for the next research study in the development of our new non-invasive version of a diagnostic test for adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is a medical condition where the body’s adrenal glands do not produce enough of the important stress hormone cortisol. The current test, Short Synacthen Test, requires injection of the medicine (Synacthen) and blood tests. We have developed a new medicine, similar to Synacthen but that can be given up the nose via a nasal spray rather than into a vein. We then assess how the adrenal glands respond by measuring cortisol in samples of saliva rather than blood. This means no need for any blood tests or needles. Our new test is called the Nasacthin Test. 

The next stage is to test 200 healthy children in order to discover what constitutes a normal response to Nasacthin. This will enable us to set age and sex appropriate diagnostic cut-offs for what is an abnormal result.

We are looking to recruit healthy children aged between 0 to 18 years. On day 1 participants will collect 3 saliva samples across the day at home and on day 2 collect another saliva sample at home before coming to Sheffield Children’s for a Nasacthin Test – a saliva sample followed by a spray of our new medicine (Nasacthin) up each nostril, then a further saliva sample an hour later. The visit will last less than 2 hours.

We are compensating participants, parents and carers with £25 for the study visit to cover their expenses (transport, parking, lost income) and to suitably recognise their time and commitment.

If you are interested in finding out more about this study please contact the study team on scn-tr.nesst.2@nhs.net or 07584590503.

Do you have Psoriasis? Are you taking tablets or using injections to treat your condition? Would you like to take part in a research study aiming to assess the safety and effectiveness of current psoriasis treatments?

If the answer is yes, our local BADBIR team would like to hear from you!

For further information or to discuss your eligibility to participate, please ask your dermatologist or specialist nurse about BADBIR.

Find out more