What next?
What next?
About this study
Interstitial Lung Diseases often result in troublesome breathing symptoms, such as breathlessness and coughing. For some people, as the disease gets worsen, the oxygen levels in the blood becomes low. It is not yet known if people in the early stages of disease have low levels of oxygen in their blood during activity, or if this low oxygen level could trigger more scarring. Oxygen therapy can be a treatment option, but it is still unclear what difference this makes to symptoms or lung scarring. Immune cells that are found in the blood and lungs are an important line of defence against infections, but their role in scarring lung diseases and how they are affected by low oxygen levels is still unclear.
In this study, the researchers will look at defender (immune) cells to see how they work, whether they are affected by low oxygen and how they interact with other cells in the lungs that are involved in scarring.
The researchers will also explore the oxygen levels in the blood of people who have scarring lung disease and those who don't, as well as monitoring levels over a single day and night.
The study aims to:
- Measure oxygen levels over a typical day and night for people with ILD and see how this compares to those without the condition.
- Assess if oxygen levels over the day and night can help to predict the disease getting worse.
- Look at how immune cells in the blood and lungs of people with ILD work, and whether low oxygen affects these cells.
There are many different types of research. These studies might ask participants to test different treatments, devices, or complete questionnaires. Some studies may not require any involvement from people affected by PF, but instead look at cells in a lab environment, animal models, or utilise computer modelling.
A study involving people can be:
- Interventional – participants are given an active treatment decided by researchers. This could be a change in medication or lifestyle (e.g. exercise, diet, complementary wellbeing therapy, or symptom management). These are commonly known as clinical trials.
- Observational – participants are assessed for specific changes over time, but researchers do not alter their standard treatment or care (e.g. questionnaires to understand the impact of symptom, or patient registries that track trends in how disease affects people or the services that are provided).
There are 3 main phases of clinical trials:
- Phase 1 is the earliest stage of research, where there is often a focus on understanding if the treatment is safe or if it causes any side effects.
- Phase 2 still focuses on safety and side effects, but also tries to find out more about what is the best dose.
- Phase 3 often compares the new treatment to existing treatments or lookalike medications.
As drugs or interventions move into the different phases, the number of people taking part will increase. Not all studies will make it to the later phases, especially if the intervention is not found to be safe or effective in phase 1 and 2.
The recruitment aim is the number of people that researcher want to take part in the research study.
What is involved?
Study visit one - takes place at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. This will last approximately 1- 1.5 hours long. You will be asked to provide written consent. After this the researchers will collect clinical information about you that is relevant for the research study (e.g. medical conditions, medications, smoking history). They will then take a blood sample.
There are then optional aspects of this study which can include, the collection of urine sample, a six-minute walk test (oxygen levels measured during this using a wristwatch device), an earlobe blood test and providing wristwatch devices to use at home on a single day and night. These devices will need to be returned to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham for analysis.
There is a second optional visit for a lung camera test procedure (research bronchoscopy) where the researchers will collect fluid from the lungs. It is important to emphasise this camera test is entirely optional and you do not have to take part in this, should you prefer not to.
Summary of involvement
Collection of clinical information
Blood test
Optional:
Urine test
Six-minute walk test
Earlobe blood test
Wearing a wristwatch device to monitor oxygen levels for a single day and night
Lung camera procedure
Can I take part?
You may be able to take part if you are over the age of 18 and have a diagnosis of an interstitial lung disease.
In research studies, there are lots of different reasons why you may or may not be able to take part. These are known as inclusion and exclusion criteria (see the main criteria list below). Only the research team will be able to fully determine whether you are able to take part in the study. You can withdraw at any point without this effecting your usual care or treatment.
If you are not able to take part in this research study, there may be other opportunities for you to take part in different studies.
To find out more about other research opportunities visit our research finder main page.
You have a diagnosis of an interstitial lung disease
You are aged 18 years or over
You have a diagnosis of lung cancer
Your Oxygen saturations levels at rest are below 92%
What difference could taking part make?
Currently we still have little understanding of the effects of low oxygen on interstitial lung diseases and the benefits of oxygen treatment. We also don't fully understand the role of different immune cells, such as neutrophils. This research study will help us to further understand the impact of blood low oxygen levels and find out more about interstitial lung diseases, which could potentially help to identify target areas for new treatments.
Where does the study take place?
Study locations
Birmingham
How to take part
If you are interested in taking part, please speak to your healthcare team, if under the care of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. Alternatively, if you are located elsewhere but would be willing to travel, please reach out to the lead researchers by emailing: dhruv.parekh@uhb.nhs.uk or l.crowley.1@bham.ac.uk
Further information
This page is a summary which provides information about an opportunity to participate in research. More detailed information about the study can be found via the following the links and through contacting the research team.
If you have any questions about this research study, please speak to your medical team.
This study is supported by
This page provides a lay summary of the research study and does not contain all the information needed to inform decisions about taking part. Please speak to your medical team or the study research team in relation to specific details about the study.
APF does not endorse or recommend any specific study. All responsibility for the study remains with the sponsors and investigators. Every effort is made to ensure that these details are correct and are kept up to date. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, please email research@actionpf.org