Bronchoscopic samples for BREATH COPD program
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Border REgions Airways Training Hub: A multidisciplinary approach to evaluating novel mechanisms and treatments in COPD
IRAS ID
239435
Contact name
Lorcan McGarvey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
COPD affects around 10% of the adult population worldwide accounting for considerable morbidity and healthcare cost including hospital admission. Current data suggests there are important regional differences in mortality rates with Ireland and areas of the UK among the highest levels in Europe. At present there are no drug treatments that can reliably slow disease progression. The BREATH (Border and REgions Airways Training Hub) is a collaborative research partnership comprising scientists and clinicians from Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), & University of Western Scotland (UWS) recently funded by the EU. Members of the BREATH consortium have developed a number of research projects designed to improve understanding of COPD and help develop better treatments and now request ethical approval to obtain human airway cells to undertake laboratory-based studies. Airway samples (bronchial wash, bronchial brush and bronchial biopsy) will be obtained from subjects attending for fibre-optic bronchoscopy as part of the diagnostic work up necessary for their routine clinical care. Participants will be classified according to the following 3 study groups; A-COPD; B-Non-obstructed smokers (NOS); C-Non-smoking controls (NSC).
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0048
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion