Lung Research Grand Challenges

The Lung Research Grand Challenges are three bold, 10-year goals designed to radically improve lung health in the UK. They were developed by the Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG) in partnership with researchers, clinicians, patients and funders.

Uniting the respiratory research community around the three key goals to ensure progress for people living with lung conditions.

These three grand challenges set agenda for the next 10 years of respiratory research

The Lung Research and Innovation Group have developed these goals for research working with Hopkins van Mil to facilitate input from lung researchers and people with lived experience of lung conditions. 

1. Diagnosis: halve the number of people living with an undiagnosed lung condition

1 in 4 people with COPD wait more than 5 years for a diagnosis.

750,000 people in England are misdiagnosed with asthma.

Saving and improving lives starts with early, accurate diagnosis. Today, getting a respiratory diagnosis if often a long and inaccurate process, involving multiple invasive tests and rounds of specialist analysis.

The challenge: halve the number of people living with undiagnosed lung conditions so they can live longer healthier lives. 

Diagnostics that can quickly and accurately detect lung conditions will lead to earlier intervention and more personalised treatment for people living with lung conditions. Improved diagnostic tools and techniques will support faster treatment development and lower healthcare costs by bringing care back to the community.  

Lung Research and Innovation Group’s goals to meet this challenge:

  • Identify biomarkers for early detection. And find new ways of measuring lung health.
  • Determine the role screening has in early detection. Particularly for those who are most high risk and therefore most likely to benefit.
  • Use data driven approaches and AI to develop diagnostic tests. To distinguish between different lung conditions and their subtypes, to guide personalised treatment early in the disease journey.
  • Develop simple, accurate, low cost tests. For individuals and community health care professionals to detect early signs of a lung condition and lung infections, so people affected get the right care at the right time. 

2. Prevention: reduce the number of people with preventable lung conditions and halve avoidable hospital admissions

42,000 people needed emergency hospital care for breathing difficulties in 2024.

Secondary care for lung conditions costs the NHS £6.3 billion a year.

Nobody should have to live with a lung condition that could have been prevented. Nor should they face uncontrollable flare ups, emergency hospitalisation, and worsening health which could have been prevented with better care.

The challenge: reduce the number of people with preventable lung diseases and halve avoidable hospital admissions​.

Respiratory conditions are a leading cause of NHS winter pressures. Research to understand how lungs can be kept healthy throughout life, reduce the risk of developing problems, and prevent symptoms becoming worse will be key to keeping people well and supporting the health service. 

Lung Research and Innovation Group’s goals to meet this challenge:

  • Keep lungs healthy throughout life. By reducing the impact of early life and environmental factors, and predicting and preventing disease progression.
  • Understand more about how genes affect lung health. And how they can be used to identify and reduce risk of developing lung problems.
  • Prevent emergency hospital admissions by developing and implementing digital health tools to transform monitoring and guidance.
    Especially for those facing deprivation.​

3. Treatment: discover cures for lung conditions and new treatments that significantly reduce symptoms

More people die from a lung condition in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. 

Asthma attacks kill four people in the UK everyday. 

Current treatments fall short of saving people's lives. Research is critical to expanding treatment options that allow people with lung conditions to live and live well.

The challenge: discover cures for lung diseases and new treatments to significantly reduce symptoms. 

Significant, sustained investment in research to develop treatments and cures is required to stop or even reverse lung damage, which would extend millions of lives, and reduce reliance on emergency and hospital care.

For example, there are no condition-modifying therapies available for COPD which means this condition is set to remain one of the world’s leading causes of death.

Lung Research and Innovation Group’s goals to meet this challenge:

  • Find new classes of drugs and pathways that act on specific targets. To cure lung diseases or reduce symptoms.
  • Improve quality of life by reducing the impact of multiple health conditions on lung disease. Across day-to-day living, exacerbations and end of life.
  • Develop biomarkers to optimise treatment decisions and delivery. To keep people with lung conditions well. 

Lung research is on life support

Respiratory research has been chronically underfunded. There have been few game-changing improvements in respiratory care in the past 30 years meaning lung conditions are the leading cause of emergency admissions and for many managing their lung health can be incredibly challenging.

Bringing experts together to accelerate progress

Addressing the Lung Research Grand Challenges will require a concerted effort from the academic community, innovators, industry, charities, and public funders of science. These 10-year goals will unite these communities to secure progress in three areas: diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.