RHINESSA version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
RHINESSA: Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia
IRAS ID
188021
Contact name
John W Holloway
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
RHINESSA (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia), is an international research project dedicated to studying lung health throughout the lifespan and across generations. RHINESSA investigates the children and parents of the participants of large international studies, situated in 7 countries that have investigated lung health, allergies and associated diseases over the last 20 years.
The importance of a mother's lifestyle and environment for her children’s' health and disease is now acknowledged. However, recent research suggests that the a father’s lifestyle and environment, and even that of previous generations, might also affect the risk of a child developing diseases such as asthma. For example, our pilot study suggests that father’s smoking in early puberty triples offspring asthma risk. Contrary to the majority of established cohorts which are not designed to address the parental environment, years before pregnancy, we have the opportunity to confirm these findings and identify other relevant factors and further identify potential biological pathways to establish causality.
Specifically, the samples to be imported to the UK as part of this project are from the Norwegian cohort in RHINESSA. DNA will be extracted from these samples and the level of DNA methylation, (a chemical modification to DNA that can occur in response to environmental exposures), will be measured. We will address the effect of parental smoking, occupation, obesity, physical activity, indoor environment, urban/ rural factors, and reproductive factors on the DNA methylation profiles of the offspring.
The project will reveal insight in the preconception lifestyle and environmental causes of asthma and allergies, and the epigenetic mechanisms by which these operate. Further, the project will potentially identify preventable measures and windows of opportunity for intervention to reduce the burden of these diseases in future generations.REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0475
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion