- New project aims to speed up process of finding treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and pulmonary fibrosis
- Scientists at the University of Leicester, University of Nottingham and University of Cambridge, will connect data science, genomics and laboratory research for the first time in tackling lung conditions
- New genetic markers of lung function to be identified, which will provide new targets for drug development
- Chronic respiratory disease, such as COPD, is the third leading cause of death globally
Astegolimab study reports improved quality of life in patients with COPD
Patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a history of frequent ‘attacks’ who were given a medicine called astegolimab reported an increase in health-related quality of life compared to those on a placebo, according to findings from a study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Severe asthma symptoms worsen when treated with psoriasis medicine, study finds
A medicine licensed to treat psoriasis worsened symptoms in patients with severe asthma, according to trial results published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.Read More
New blood test could improve early tuberculosis diagnosis
A new blood test to detect early tuberculosis (TB) infection is being developed using research expertise from the University of Leicester, with the potential to save thousands of lives.
A clinical study undertaken at the Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has led to the discovery of a 20-gene signature expressed in blood by patients with TB, even before they develop symptoms of the disease.
Together, these 20 genes represent a pattern of immune responses that are specific to TB. An exclusive licence provided by BioASTER to a commercial partner is driving development of a new clinical biomarker that is based the 20-gene signature, bringing the possibility of better TB diagnostics a step closer to realisation.
Dr Pranab Haldar Clinical Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester and lead clinical investigator in the research said: “This is a great achievement for us in Leicester. New diagnostic tools are urgently needed in TB to improve early identification of the disease so that treatment can be started quickly to stop the spread of infection within communities.
“As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global health burden from TB is projected to rise for several years. COVID has significantly impacted upon the running of TB control services, which has led to delayed diagnosis and more community transmission .The need for new diagnostics to support TB control has never been greater.
“Working with our partners across healthcare, academia and industry we have developed a new blood test that is to be commercially developed, and we hope will contribute to patient care in the near future.”
Nathalie Garcon, Chief Scientific Officer of BIOASTER said: “The signature of this licensing agreement demonstrates the capacity of BIOASTER, in collaboration with its academic and industrial partners, to deliver biomarkers of added medical value in tuberculosis from research phase to industrial development.”
The clinical study was developed and delivered by an international collaboration between the University of Leicester, the Francis Crick Institute and the BIOASTER Technology Research Institute, and published in Nature Communications (2018).
An estimated two billion people worldwide have been infected with TB, and every year more than one million people lose their lives from the disease.
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Exercise can help support recovery of patients with lasting COVID symptoms, study finds
Patients with lasting symptoms of COVID-19 who completed a six week, supervised rehabilitation programme demonstrated significant improvements in exercise capacity, respiratory symptoms, fatigue and cognition, according to researchers at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre – a partnership between Leicester’s Hospitals, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University.Read More
Study reveals seven in ten patients hospitalised with COVID-19 not fully recovered five months post-discharge
The majority of survivors who left hospital following COVID-19 did not fully recover five months after discharge and continued to experience negative impacts on their physical and mental health, as well as ability to work, according to results released by the PHOSP-COVID study today. Furthermore, one in five of the participant population reached the threshold for a new disability.Read More