Investigating pathways in tracheal stenosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating fibroblast function in airway stenosis
IRAS ID
136203
Contact name
Matthew Rollin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Compliance Office, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Research summary
Scarring and stenosis (critical narrowing) of the human airway may be life-threatening and can also lead to significant physical incapacity. It may result from several conditions, following intubation during routine surgery or a more profound critical illness, or due to infections or autoimmune diseases such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, formerly Wegener’s Granulomatosis). Importantly, people vary widely in their response to such insults. Some will develop significant and disabling airway scarring, whereas others may emerge with no long-term consequences. Similarly, only a proportion of patients with GPA develop airway narrowing, and we remain unclear what factors predispose certain patients to develop such airway problems.
Fibroblasts are cells of the skin and body linings, with a key role in wound healing and formation of scar tissue, and, we postulate, central to the airway narrowing seen in these patients. We wish to study the behaviour of these cells from patients and control subjects and investigate differences in their behaviour.
Obtaining tissue from the airway is straightforward during instrumentation, for diagnostic or treatment procedures, but we have previously shown that skin fibroblasts may behave in a similar manner to those from other sites and are more readily obtainable. We propose to investigate whether skin and tracheal fibroblasts from the same patient behave identically, using simultaneous samples from the airway and skin in both patients and disease controls. Tracheal fibroblasts will be obtained from patients undergoing diagnostic biopsies of the airway; and during laryngectomy or tracheostomy procedures in controls. Skin fibroblasts will be obtained from standard biopsies in patients, and from overlying skin at the time of surgery in controls. We will also ask for a blood sample to isolate serum, mRNA and DNA to allow us to define susceptibility genes and soluble factors.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0759
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion