Epigenetic regulation in lung diseases v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Uncovering the epigenetic face of chronic lung diseases for discovery of novel biomarkers and treatments.
IRAS ID
361601
Contact name
Renata Zofia Jurkowska
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 5 months, days
Research summary
Chronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are life-limiting and currently incurable diseases where patients experience a progressive decline in lung function. Currently, the molecular mechanisms driving these diseases are poorly understood, and there are no effective treatments. The link between lung diseases, environmental exposures, and epigenetics is well established; however, how epigenetic changes drive COPD and IPF development remains unknown. Likewise, it is unclear whether epigenetic mechanisms can be targeted for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for lung diseases.
In this project, we aim to investigate the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms driving COPD and IPF and identify novel epigenetic biomarkers and disease regulators. In the first phase of the project, we will establish cryopreservation of human control, COPD and IPF lung tissues from different sources and optimise the isolation of epithelial, mesenchymal, and immune cells from the healthy and diseased lungs. We will then obtain global epigenetic and transcriptional profiles of purified healthy and diseased cells to identify changes associated with disease development. We will also identify novel regulators of disease phenotypes and dissect the functional relevance of the identified epigenetic changes and regulators in disease development using cell culture models.
Overall, this project will provide a first understanding of how epigenetic signalling drives lung disease development, thereby accelerating the discovery and validation of epigenetic therapeutics and biomarkers for chronic lung diseases.REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/1279
Date of REC Opinion
17 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion