Monday, 17 October 2022
Researchers at the Universities of Leicester, Nottingham and Cambridge have been granted an £8.8 million Wellcome Discovery Award to speed up gene discoveries for lung conditions.
Professors Ian Sayers and Ian Hall from the University of Nottingham’s Biodiscovery Institute will be at the forefront of a programme to discover how genes can help predict the likelihood of patients developing lung disease. It will also help develop new targeted drugs for diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The eight-year study, led by Professor Martin Tobin at the University of Leicester, is the first to fully connect data on the illnesses, genomics, and laboratory research.
The Nottingham researchers will contribute unique expertise in modelling human lung disease using cells and tissue from patients in conjunction with new approaches of genome editing and spatial transcriptomics, which involves looking at gene expression in specific regions of the lung in people that carry certain genetics.
Chronic respiratory diseases including asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, are the third commonest cause of death in the world. About 131,000 of Nottinghamshire GP patients have been diagnosed with asthma and COPD – about 12 percent of their registered lists.
The research also hopes to identify opportunities to repurpose existing drugs for other diseases which could treat lung diseases effectively, which is faster and cheaper than developing entirely new drugs.
NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre director and respiratory consultant Professor Ian Hall
NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre director and respiratory consultant Professor Ian Hall, who is co-leading the study in Nottingham, said:
“People with lung diseases often have common patterns of variation in their genes and by analysing genetic data from hundreds of thousands of participants. We know that drug targets supported by genetic evidence are more likely to be relevant. We can therefore better target drug development research to make treatments as effective as possible for as many people as possible with lung diseases.
“Nottingham is one of the country’s leading centres of respiratory research. In particular we have expertise in using human cells and tissue to study cell functions and to investigate the effectiveness of potential new therapies. Better treatments mean people with lung disease will be able to lead better lives, and healthier people will save the NHS money.”
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Ian Hall, Ian.Hall@nottingham.ac.uk or matt.hurst@nihr.ac.uk at the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…