Alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterisation of alveolar macrophages to identify new inflammatory pathways in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
IRAS ID
256147
Contact name
Jørgen Vesbo
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a very common progressive disorder, which is currently the 4th leading cause of death. COPD is characterized by chronic airway inflammation triggered by noxious particles, mainly cigarette smoke; however it develops in less than 50% of the heavy smokers. The reasons for why COPD develops in susceptible individuals are poorly understood. Animal models, cell cultures, or even systemic samples such as urine or blood cannot represent the inflammation in the airways of COPD patients.
We propose a study to investigate samples obtained directly from the airway space with bronchoscopy using a technique called bronchoalveolar lavage. Bronchoscopy involves inserting a thin flexible tube with a small camera into the lungs, and a bronchoalveolar lavage involves putting salty water through the bronchoscope and sucking it back out again. We will also use questionnaires, lung function tests and laboratory measurements from blood samples to characterize patients. These samples will be analysed at University of Manchester. Patients will be invited to return after 1 year to assess changes in their disease and lung function. We aim to investigate airway cells and molecules in context with the microbial load in the airways, disease history, symptoms and functional characteristics of COPD using powerful bioinformatics. With this knowledge we may able to identify novel targets for drug development which may slow down or hopefully reverse the course of COPD.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0098
Date of REC Opinion
10 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion