Innate lymphoid cells in COPD exacerbations
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Defining the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of innate lymphoid cells and their progenitors during COPD exacerbations
IRAS ID
309473
Contact name
Lydia Finney
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Innate lymphoid cells (ILC’s) are a group of white blood cells that live in the airway. Their role is to orchestrate the airway immune response to infections and control airway inflammation. There are five different groups of ILC’s which can be found in the airway lining or the blood stream. Each group has a slightly different role in fighting different infections or airway insults for example ILC1’s help fight viral infection whereas ILC2’s direct the inflammatory response to allergens. Each group of ILC’s produces different signalling proteins which determines which immune cells are attracted to the site of infection or inflammation.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterised by airway narrowing and chronic airway inflammation. People who have COPD often get ‘flare-ups’ called ‘exacerbations’ where their symptoms get a lot worse. Most of these ‘flare-ups’ are caused by bacterial or viral infections. The role of ILC’s in airway inflammation COPD and the airway response to infection during ‘flare-ups’ of COPD is unknown.
This study aims to understand the role of ILC’s in ‘flare-ups’ of COPD and how they direct the airway immune response to infection in COPD. To do this we will take blood samples and samples of phlegm from people who have COPD when they are having a flare up and when they are well. We will also take blood and phlegm samples from healthy people. This will allow us to study the changes in ILC’s and their production of signalling proteins between people who have COPD and people who are healthy and how ILC’s change when people with COPD have a ‘flare-up’.REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0739
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion