Resolving ENT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating inflammation in conditions affecting the ear, nose & throat
IRAS ID
227310
Contact name
Ghassan Aluis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
When people are injured or suffer with a form of infection, the body mounts an inflammatory response in order to defend and repair the body. This inflammatory response can be recognised as redness, swelling, fever and pain. It was a long held belief that the resolution of inflammation was a passive process based upon the removal of the initiating insult and subsequent dilution of inflammatory molecules. Recently, a number of novel molecules have been identified which are actively produced in order to terminate the inflammatory response and promote healing. These healing molecules are referred to in the scientific literature as specialised pro resolving mediators or SPM for short. We wish to explore pathways associated with the resolution of inflammation in pathologies encountered within the field of ear nose and throat [ENT].
Biological material from participants suffering from ENT diseases will be analysed, the concentration of healing molecules (SPM) will be explored. Biological samples including saliva, blood and human tissue from the ear, nose and throat will be harvested and explored. Molecular concentrations of key elements will be correlated with participant’s clinical data including: radiological, biochemical and histopathological investigations. The clinical medical records will be reviewed by the investigator in order to establish participant’s relevant medical background and treatments after consenting.
The study will involve five groups of participants. Participants suffering with conditions known or thought to have diseases associated with abnormal inflammation such as tonsillitis will be compared to participants suffering from conditions not associated with inflammation, for example trauma who require surgery, for example rhinoplasty (nose job).
It is hoped that by analysing ENT pathologies in the light of new knowledge surrounding the SPM pathways, we can gain new insights into disease processes, help to develop new treatments, and novel mechanisms to gauge disease severity and response to treatment.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0447
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion