Integrins in type II immunity in asthma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation into the roles of integrins in immune mechansims in asthma
IRAS ID
270304
Contact name
Martin Knolle
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 8 months, 18 days
Research summary
Asthma is a complex inflammatory disease of the airways. Asthma affects many people, 5.4 million people in the UK alone. In addition, asthma results in 3-4 deaths each day in the U.K. Asthma is complex disease with different subtypes. Some types do not respond well to current treatment options.
We hence need to develop an improved understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying asthma, aiming to develop new therapies to help those patients for whom there is currently no effective treatment.
Aim 1
There is a subgroup of patients with asthma, in whom asthma is obesity associated. Preliminary data suggests a molecule that is important on cells (ILC2) linking obesity and asthma – LFA1. We will explore whether there is a mechanism linking LFA-1 to asthma associated with obesity.
In order to do this, patients with severe asthma and healthy controls will be invited to donate a small amount of blood (20-40 mls - about the volume of an espresso). From this, I will quantify the amount of LFA-1 expressed on cells and compare these between patients with asthma and controls with and without obesity.
Aim 2
We have newly identified a certain molecule called CD51 as potentially being very important on cells causing inflammation (T-cells) in patients with asthma. Interestingly, CD51 is known to interact with another protein called periostin, a marker for inflammation underlying asthma. However, nothing is known about the expression and role of CD51 in patients with asthma. I propose to study CD51 expression on T-cells from the blood and lung of volunteers with and without asthma. I believe that we will find more CD51 expressed on T-cells from patients with asthma.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0034
Date of REC Opinion
5 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion