The effect of ageing on acute inflammatory responses in man.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effect of ageing on acute inflammatory responses in man.
IRAS ID
241028
Contact name
John Simpson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Older people are more susceptible to infections like pneumonia. Evidence suggests that the immune system of older people fails to destroy germs effectively, and may cause harm to the body. Understanding processes responsible for the abnormal immune reactions in older people should suggest ways to reduce the severity of infection and improve the efficiency of vaccines. However, it remains difficult to study immune reactions from the very beginning in humans, simply because patients already have established infection by the time they seek medical attention. \n\nUnique circumstances now allow immune responses to be characterised in more detail. Firstly, a low dose of a non-infectious component of bacteria can be inhaled by volunteers, so that the immune response can be monitored from before it starts to when it resolves. Secondly, state-of-the-art technology allows the type and function of individual human lung cells to be assessed in detail, allowing the first comprehensive analysis of which immune cells coordinate the response to infection. \n\nWe shall invite 18 volunteers aged <25 or >65 to inhale the bacterial product (once) or a placebo, in a controlled environment. We shall collect serial blood samples and perform one “bronchoscopy” (a telescope test of the lung, used in routine clinical practice) to obtain cells from a small proportion of the lung. The cells will be characterised in detail, and the patterns in younger and older volunteers compared. Separately, 4 younger and 4 older individuals having influenza vaccination as part of routine care will have blood taken before and after vaccination, and the immune profile characterised in a similar way. \n\nThese studies should provide one of the most detailed descriptions of innate immune responses in humans of different ages. The data will inform the design of larger studies linked to understanding human immunity and designing new vaccination strategies. \n
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0088
Date of REC Opinion
27 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion