We breathe around 22,000 times a day
Most of the time, we are unaware that our lungs are doing this work. Yet, for the 1 in 5 people in the UK who will have a lung condition in their lifetime, breathing can be really difficult.
At Asthma + Lung UK, we’re working with the Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG) to unite the research community around the biggest priorities in lung health. Together, we’re launching the Lung Research Grand Challenges to rally the community around diagnosis, prevention, and treatment to improve the lives of people with lung conditions. Because right now, the care available to people living with lung conditions is failing to match the impact of struggling to breathe on their lives.
As the human and economic burdens of lung conditions in the UK continue to grow, we can’t afford to slow down on life-saving research. We hope that by 2035, significant, sustained funding in respiratory science has improved the lives of millions and changed the way the UK thinks about lung health.
Research changes the way we detect and understand lung conditions
It’s well known that a timely and accurate diagnosis plays a huge role in ensuring people get the right care at the right time. But receiving one is all too often a lengthy, inaccurate process requiring specialist analysis.
Developing a simple, accurate diagnostic tool will only be possible if we bring researchers from a wide range of fields together to understand how best to detect biomarkers (biological signposts for what’s going wrong with our health) and other processes that lead to the development and progression of lung conditions.
Research empowers us to keep our lungs as healthy as possible
Our vision is for a world where everyone has healthy lungs and can breathe freely.
Making this vision a reality means investigating the range of biological and environmental factors playing a role in the development of lung conditions and preventing a worsening quality of life for those with these conditions. This demands research to better understand the processes in our bodies and potential pollutants in the air that affect our breathing.
In doing so, we can develop new tools to support people to manage their condition, spot when their lung health is getting worse and ultimately prevent terrifying trips to A&E.
As lung conditions remain the third-biggest killer in the UK, it’s clear we still have some way to go to make sure nobody is left struggling to breathe thanks to a preventable condition. Stopping lung conditions from developing or worsening is one way to keep people healthy, but additional research to support novel treatments is also key.
Research into new treatments will saves lives
Scientists’ ground-breaking discoveries have brought about life-saving treatments for conditions like asthma and tuberculosis. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the world witnessed the amazing power of research to confront a devastating respiratory virus and save millions of lives. Today, researchers continue to explore new ways to help people breathe easier and live healthier lives.
Researchers at Beam Therapeutics recently tested a new way to treat an incurable genetic condition damaging the lungs and liver (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency). Scientists used a GPS-like tool to search DNA for the small ‘spelling mistake’ causing this condition – just one ‘letter’ wrong out of billions. The mistaken letter was then replaced with the correct one. Marking the first time a defective gene has been restored to normal.
Although it’s early, the results are promising: the new treatment may have cured the participants’ conditions for life. This is a major development in gene editing, offering hope for the treatment of other conditions.
Research is breaking new ground
Closer to home, Asthma + Lung UK funded researchers also saw treatment breakthroughs with Professor James Chalmers announcing positive results from a clinical trial testing the first-ever bronchiectasis treatment. Professor Mona Bafadel also announced positive results for a new way of delivering asthma and COPD treatment, both an incredible step forward in the way we approach developing and delivering lifesaving treatments for lung conditions.
Join us in supporting LRIG’s Grand Challenges and help us work towards a world where fewer people develop lung conditions, those who do have their conditions detected and treated earlier, and where treatments are available to stop or even reverse lung damage.