Target Validation and Discovery in Idiopathic Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a long-term lung condition where the airways become abnormally enlarged, leading to a build-up of mucus and inflammation that makes the lungs more susceptible to recurrent infection. Patients with bronchiectasis have subtle abnormalities in the way their airway cells respond to infection that are, in part, responsible for the development of their condition. At present there are no licensed treatments for bronchiectasis. This study will aim to characterise in depth some of these abnormalities with a view to future studies that will try to develop treatments that can directly target those abnormalities at a molecular level. Patients known to have bronchiectasis who have provided written informed consent will be enrolled alongside healthy volunteers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis, for comparison. Participants will give a blood sample and have a bronchoscopy. This is a thin telescopic tube, passed through the nose or mouth, under sedation, into the airways that will allow a sample of bronchial epithelial cells to be taken. The main objective of the study is to achieve a greater understanding of some of the key biological processes/pathways and disease marker genes that play a role in the development of bronchiectasis. This is important because, at present, little is known about the underlying disease mechanisms and there are no licensed treatments for bronchiectasis. The investigator's hope this in-depth characterisation of specific bronchial epithelial cell abnormalities in bronchiectasis will shed light on novel targets for future drug discovery.

Target Validation and Discovery in Idiopathic Bronchiectasis

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