Neutrophil Extracellular Traps - Pro-inflammatory in Cystic Fibrosis?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Pro-inflammatory in Cystic Fibrosis?
IRAS ID
215170
Contact name
Robert Gray
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Are Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Pro-inflammatory in Cystic fibrosis (CF)?
CF is a fatal condition caused by a faulty gene and affecting ~10800 people in the UK. Patients tend to die due to lung infection and inflammation. There is no cure so one of the main treatment goals is to reduce the inflammation in the lungs.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like structures made from DNA and proteins made by neutrophils, the body’s white blood cells. They may fight infection but also cause inflammation and so damage the lungs. They trigger other white blood cells - called macrophages – which add to the inflammation. In this study we will find out:
1. Whether higher amounts of NETs in the phlegm of CF patients is linked to more severe lung damage.
2. Investigate whether macrophages from CF patients over-react to NETs compared to healthy peoples’ macrophages.
3. Find out which proteins within NETs cause the most inflammation and whether targeting these can combat inflammation.These questions are of importance because one third of patients die whilst waiting for a lung transplant and overall patient median age of death is only 28 years of age. The discovery of new treatments is therefore essential.
Patients attending the CF clinic at the Western General Hospital (WGH), Edinburgh would be recruited prospectively. They would be eligible if older than 16, no previous lung transplant, and are non-smokers. Healthy age and sex-matched controls will be recruited. Subjects will be asked to provide blood samples and phlegm samples (the latter being induced by nebulisation with hypertonic saline solution if unable to spontaneously produce phlegm). The sample collection would be conducted at the WGH. The study will last until August 2019 however subject participation would not extend beyond a few days. The research is funded by the Wellcome Trust.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
16/WS/0239
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion