In the forefront of research
Strong research milieus
The dynamism and vitality of research is assured by means of close cooperation with the
Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark. Researchers, patients and doctors interact daily in various clinics.
Such cooperation affords a practical way of building the bridge between practice and research, leading to inspiration and synergy in areas of expertise. Without this, it would not be possible to attract and retain the cream of talented young researchers.
The aim at OUH is to promote these internationally recognized research efforts, thus providing the climate in which the latest research and clinical discoveries can be applied in the Danish health care system.
All the hospital’s departments are committed to the advancement of the research areas, which in turn play a part in the departments’ development plans.
Important research results
There are other areas too in which significant research results have been made, and for which OUH has great expectations in the years to come. These include cell therapy, children’s health, cancer, individualised diagnostics and treatment and the normal and abnormal functioning of the motor system.
Some more concrete examples of projects at the hospital are an investigation into the effects of HIV treatments; development of bone tissue transplants; research into retinal and optic nerve diseases and prevention of acute allergic reactions.
Visible proof of research work is to be found in the roughly 400 peer-reviewed articles which OUH and the University of Southern Denmark publish yearly in international scientific journals.
This alone qualifies the hospital as one of the three main centres for research in the Danish health care system.
Research as a basis for innovation and growth
The university hospital is a vital stimulant of research in Region Syddanmark. Cooperation in research between the various hospitals is productive: research is an important basis for innovation and economic growth in the region.
The interplay between clinical research and the industrial sector, for example the pharmaceutical industry – is of benefit both for patients and the local economy.
Research provides the cornerstone of OUH’s development, and the hospital has in mind to stay in the top echelon of international medical research institutions as a fundamental prerequisite for the improvement of medical care, innovation and growth.
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Stem cells in the fight against disease Research into the use of stem cells is being conducted at the Clinic for Molecular Endocrynology. If the stem cells’ method of working can be decoded, there will be many possibilities for the treatment of disease. Patients with diabetes could be given insulin producing stem cells. Patients with osteoporosis might be given stem cells which would rebuild the bone – in principle, stem cells can rebuild new body parts. But these are possibilities for the future. At present, the research concentrates on the cultivation of stem cells outside the body and how the stem cells may be made to differentiate into particular cell types with bone forming or insulin producing properties. |
Individualised diagnostics The Oncology Department is working intensively to develop methods for improved diagnosis of cancer. One of the research projects is looking at a method which should assist the diagnosis of a tumour or lymph node as malignant or not – and whether an operation will be the correct solution. A precise diagnosis means that not all patients will automatically get the same treatment. To operate for safety’s sake is not the best solution. If a patient undergoes surgery and the doctors do not remove the cancer, there is a risk that the patient’s life expectancy will be halved. |
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Better, painless bone replacement The Orthopaedic Surgery Department aims to test a Danish bone grafting procedure on human patients by 2010. Today bone grafting uses tissue from the patient’s own body, unless use is made of the tissue bank. In the first scenario the operation takes a long time and can produce complications; in the second, there is a risk of transferring illness from the donor or that the patient’s body will not accept the foreign material. But with bone replacement OUH will be able to offer patients better, faster and painless treatment. |
Halting the progression of blurred vision The Ophthalmology Department is engaged in electrophysiological examinations of the function of the retina in retinal abnormality or diseases of the optic nerves. One research project is examining the effect of a new treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the most common cause of loss of sight in elderly patients. The new method uses a specific growth inhibitor to prevent the formation of new blood vessels. In a normal retina there is no water between the cells of the eye, but for various reasons new, loose blood vessels can form in the macula – the yellow spot. This can result in blurred vision and the impression that traight lines become bent. The growth inhibitor is targeted at the formation of these blood vessels. |
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The Danish HIV database Denmark is one of very few countries which have kept records of all HIV cases and it is therefore possible to follow the development of the disease nationally. This is thanks to the Danish HIV database, which is in the Medical department, C, at OUH. Eight Danish departments work together in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Information on 4,800 cases of HIV patients is stored in a database. 3,700 of these are patients living with the disease. The database is an important tool in the examination of the effects of HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy for HIV patients) and of risk factors for progression of the illness. These are the focus areas of the Danish HIV database and the project has contributed significantly to new knowledge about them. The database is a successful example of the way in which clinical databases can work effectively to answer scientific questions and to secure the quality of treatment. The project has yielded significant scientific results: one thesis and three PhD have arisen from it. |