Asthma and Lung UK funds respiratory research with the aim to improve the lives of people affected by lung conditions. The funded project will investigate the role of neutrophils in pleural infection. Pleural infection is a severe and complicated disease with increasing incidence worldwide. Patients develop fluid in the area outside their lungs (pleural fluid) which is causing severe pain. We aim to better understand how neutrophils (a type of immune cells which fights bacteria) behave in patients with pleural infection.
For our research we will deeply analyse pleural fluid and blood samples collected from patients with the disease. We hope that better knowledge of the role of neutrophils could help us understand why some patients show severe symptoms and how to better treat them. We have established a network of collaborators via the Clinical Research Collaborations (CRC) which is funded by the European Respiratory Society.