A Liverpool lab firm says its pioneering new women's health centre could help researchers find treatments for often-neglected conditions like endometriosis and PCOS that have historically seen a lack of research and investment.
Lab testing firm BioGrad has opened Europe鈥檚 first private women鈥檚 health research tissue bank as part of a 拢25m investment -- and says the site could be a "gateway to revolutionising women鈥檚 health" and in tackling inequalities in healthcare. The site aims to carry out research into women鈥檚 health issues including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, menopause and certain types of cancers.
BioGrad says: 鈥淗istorically, women鈥檚 health research has been underfunded. This has led to an underrepresentation of women in scientific research meaning women鈥檚 diseases have been notably neglected or misdiagnosed. In the case of more general diseases that impact both men and women, men are also more likely to receive more advanced diagnosis, with women also experiencing significantly longer diagnostic delays compared to men.鈥
The centre will be led by an all-female team of experts, led by Dr. Sherin Pojar, who will also work with local hospitals including Liverpool Women鈥檚 Hospital as part of their sample collection work.
The 10,000 sq ft facility will collect and store menstrual blood, peripheral blood, umbilical cord tissue, and umbilical cord blood. Now the centre is calling on women in the Liverpool city region to take part in the research by donating samples.
The move to tackle health inequalities has been backed by governments past and present. Launching , former health secretary Victoria Atkins said: 鈥淲e are breaking historical barriers that prevent women getting the care they need, building greater understanding of women鈥檚 healthcare issues and ensuring their voices and choices are listened to.鈥
Labour鈥檚 health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has also discussed the need to tackle health inequalities, saying the 海角视频 needs to ensure women are no longer 鈥渢reated like an alien species with rare conditions when they turn up with things like menopause, PCOS and endometriosis.鈥
Dr Natalie Kenny, chief executive at BioGrad, said: "For far too long women鈥檚 health has been an afterthought in scientific research. At BioGrad, we are proud to be leading the charge in changing this narrative. By opening Europe鈥檚 first dedicated private women鈥檚 health research tissue bank, we are not only addressing a critical gap in medical research but also empowering women to play a direct role in advancing healthcare and patient outcomes.
"For many, women鈥檚 health is an enigma - it is a complex maze articulating the difficulties women encounter in communicating and confirming their pain as well as understanding the intricacies of illness such as endometriosis and PCOS, and often the institutional disregard for health issues that directly affect women.
"Our mission is to challenge this, creating research that improves health outcomes for women, closing the gender gap and establishing the 海角视频 as a global superpower in science and technology by 2030."
Lynn Greenhalgh, medical director at Liverpool鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Hospital, said: "Liverpool Women's Hospital is delighted to support BioGrad in the creation of the Women's Health Research Tissue Bank. The tissue bank will create a resource for the North of England for researchers in Women's health which will allow quicker access to samples for research. This will enable more women to benefit from a greater understanding and potentially new treatments for women's health problems that affect such a large part of the population.鈥
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