ATP and P2X3 receptor in chronic cough
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Neuroinflammatory interactions of ATP and P2X3 receptor in the airways of chronic cough patients
IRAS ID
271140
Contact name
Kian Fan Chung
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Compliance Office, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Chronic cough is a common clinical problem that affects quality of life and causes a range of physical problems. Up to now there has been no effective antitussives. Our understanding of the pathways leading to chronic cough has been improved by the notion of a coug hypersensitive state. However, the mediators and neural pathways involved remain unclear. Recently, in a clinical trial of a new antitussive, a blocker of the receptor P2X3, AF-219, was shown to most effectively inhibit coughin patients with chronic cough. This raises the possibility that adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which stimulates P2X3 receptors, may be an important neuromodulator of the cough hypersensitive state. Because very little is known about the role of ATP in chronic cough, we wish to determine the presence of ATP and its receptor, P2X3, in the upper and lower airways of patients suffering from a chronic cough, and the effect of inhaled ATP on the cough and laryngeal hypersensitivity, and on neuroinflammation in the upper and lower airways. In order to do so, we will recruit 12 subjects with chronic cough attending the Royal Brompton Hospital Cough Clinic and 8 control healthy non-coughing subjects. The protocol will be in two parts: first, a fibreoptic bronchoscopy will be performed in order to obtain lower airway biopsies and brushings, and also bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In the second part of the study, we will expose all subjects to nebulised ATP or saline and observe effects on cough and laryngeal hypersensitivities and airway inflammation through the production of sputum. In so doing, we will determine whether ATP can induce cough hypersensitivity syndrome. Thus, this study will provide us with a better idea of the mechanism underlying cough hypersensitivity syndrome that may lead towards better antitussive therapies desperately needed by subjects with chronic cough.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1910
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion