Effects of aspirin on specialised pro-resolving mediators
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effects of aspirin on specialised pro-resolving mediators (ASPIRE)
IRAS ID
300501
Contact name
Ian Wilkinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic lung disease are leading causes of poor health and death both in the UK and globally. As such, although we have medicines to improve these conditions, there is still significant unmet need for novel therapeutics and better understanding of the underlying pathology in both conditions.
CVD and lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have common risk factors such as smoking, and inflammation is the key pathology underlying both conditions. Novel medicines targeting inflammation have/and are still being evaluated for CVD and COPD. In contrast however, little is known about specialised pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) which are molecules made by the body in cells from fats that limit inflammation, and help recovery from infection and inflammation, reduce long-term damage, restoring health of tissue.
Pre-clinical studies (that is studies done on cells or tissue outside the body, or in animals) suggest this is an important area to research and represents a new area of future novel medicines. One clinical study has shown that aspirin helps the body produce more SPMs. Another clinical study showed that omega-3 supplementation helped the body produce more SPMs. These are interesting studies and may explain some of aspirin and omega-3’s known benefits. However, further study in people is needed to know whether these findings can be replicated and help us understand the role of SPMs better in people rather than just laboratory work.We plan to understand the importance of SPMs by undertaking a physiological study to see if aspirin and/or omega-3 supplementation regulate levels of SPMs and whether SPMs are important in relation to measures of blood vessel health. We plan to undertake this study in smokers or people with COPD since they have inflammation and are at increased risk of CVD.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
22/WA/0108
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jun 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion