Role of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Asthma and Allergy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of the Function and Control of Innate Lymphocytes in Asthma and Allergy
IRAS ID
157013
Contact name
Edwin Chilvers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Unviersity of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 3 months, 5 days
Research summary
Asthma is a widespread disease affecting many people in the UK - about 1 in 12 adults, or roughly 5.4 million people in total. We are currently in the process of developing a more detailed understanding of the biological mechanisms causing asthma. A recent research breakthrough suggests that a previously unrecognised type of cell, the innate lymphocyte (ILC), may be responsible for producing many of the mediators that cause asthma, which were previously attributed different cells.
While we have developed an understanding how these cells contribute to asthma in mouse models, their role in human asthma has not yet been studied.In addition, we are becoming increasingly aware that there are different mechanisms which cause asthma to develop. For example, it is now clearly recognised that some asthma is caused by allergies while other types of asthma are non-allergic. We want to explore whether ILC are equally important in all types of human asthma or whether there are differences between different types of human asthma (for example whether ILC are more important in allergic or non-allergic asthma).
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0408
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion