Immune cell function and bacterial infection in COPD

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Mechanisms, impact and therapeutic targeting of defective myeloid cell function in COPD

• IRAS ID

  181196

• Contact name

  Sarah Walmsley

• Contact email

  sarah.walmsley@ed.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Edinburgh

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  COPD is a leading cause of lung disease and a common cause of hospitalisation, time off work and death. Smoking is the major risk factor for COPD but why only some smokers develop COPD is poorly understood. A central feature of COPD is accumulation of a particular type of white blood cell, the neutrophil, in the lung airway. The airways of many patients with COPD accumulate bacteria, which are absent in healthy individuals or smokers who lack COPD. We believe accumulation of bacteria in the smaller airways brings neutrophils into the lung, resulting in development of the disease. We will test if blood cells, which kill bacteria, have a reduced ability to perform this function in COPD patients and also whether the clearance of these blood cells after they have killed bacteria is impaired. We will relate these findings to the clinical features of COPD in a well-defined group of patients.
  COPD patients and controls (both smokers and non-smokers) will be asked to provide a blood sample and to undergo a bronchoscopy test to take washings from the lungs. Some will be having a bronchoscopy anyway for clinical reasons, others will be asked to have it as a research procedure. Comparison will be made between blood cells obtained from the lung and from the blood to determine if the alterations are specific to the lung. We will identify particular molecular alterations in the way these blood cells respond to bacteria and determine whether we can correct these alterations using agents that we predict might correct these alterations in function. Our aim is to identify new ways to treat COPD and the agents with the greatest potential to correct the abnormalities in cell function of patients with COPD, would in the future be studied in clinical trials.

• REC name

  South East Scotland REC 01

• REC reference

  15/SS/0095

• Date of REC Opinion

  5 Aug 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion