A new research study, (CLAM), funded by the he Nottingham Molecular Pathology Node (NMPM) and The NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre has now commenced at Nottingham University Hospitals and the University of Nottingham.
What is the purpose of the study?
One type of lung condition; known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterised by narrowing of the airways and causes shortness of breath. In addition to COPD, there are number of other destructive lung diseases which share a similar disease process we are including in this study.
To help improve our understanding of COPD and other destructive lung diseases and how these diseases behave and affect patients, it is important for us to identify specific groups of patients who show similar clinical characteristics, prognosis or therapy needs.
In this study we will initially divide patients into the following groups:
• Patients admitted with an acute exacerbation of COPD (a sudden flare up of their condition) • Patients who have clinically stable COPD • Patients with other types of destructive lung disease
By splitting patients into groups, or ‘cohorts’, we can then look at a variety of biomarkers (markers or indicators of disease at a cellular level) found in blood, sputum and urine and study changes in them over time and compare them between groups.
The knowledge we gain from the analysis of these biomarkers within the specific groups of patients will, we hope, help us in several ways.
• Allow us to identify even more specific subtypes within a disease group • Identify specific markers associated with the disease • Identify a patient’s susceptibility to disease • Help provide information regarding disease prognosis once a patient has been diagnosed.
Ultimately, tests developed for these biomarkers will help doctors to diagnose disease earlier enabling them to prescribe more targeted therapies for patients. This would mean better outcomes for patients and specific treatments for patients (known as stratified medicine)
This study is now fully completed