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Research project

Dr P Howarth: 'Wessex severe asthma cohort'

Staff

Other researchers

Professor Donna Davies

Research interests

  • Mechanisms of lung diseases
  • Viral-induced exacerbations of lung disease
  • Asthma
Connect with Donna

Email: [email protected]

Professor Ratko Djukanovic

Professor of Medicine

Research interests

  • Professor Djukanovic has a lifelong interest in asthma, especially its severe forms. where his focus is on: 1) underlying pathobiological mechanisms of asthma, 2) stratification of asthma into clinical phenotypes and mechanism-based endotypes, 3) unmet needs of severe asthma management. He also has an interest in the mechanisms and treatments of severe viral infections of the lung.
  • Underlying mechanisms of asthma: Professor Djukanovic has conducted pioneer studies into the pathology of asthma, applying research bronchoscopy  (with endobronchial biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage) and sputum induction. He led the initial task forces which defined the use of these two techniques, thereby paving the way for standardised research approches that enabled in-depth descriptions of the roles of various inflammatory cells and their mediators. He developed an explant model, consisting of bronchial biopsies placed into tissue culture, that could be stimulated ex vivo with relevant triggers, applying as needed, novel agents not yet approved for in vivo use in humans volunteers. 
  • Stratification of asthma into clinical phenotypes and mechanism-based endotypes: Professor Djukanovic led the discovery of biomarkers using omics technology (transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, breathomics). After the first ever study of transcriptomics biomarkers in the epithelium of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), together with a colleague from Amsterdam and two colleagues from Imperial College, London, he created a large (€27 milllion) programme for severe asthma (U-BIOPRED), funded by the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative. This has resulted in more than 100 publications, providing insight into novel phenotypes and endotypes of asthma.
Connect with Ratko

Email: [email protected]

Research outputs

Airway and peripheral uPAR is elevated in asthma, and identifies a severe, non-atopic subset of patients
Michael A. Portelli, Christopher Moseley, Ceri E. Stewart, Dirkje S. Postma, Peter Howarth, Jane A. Warner, John W. Holloway, Gerard H. Koppelman, Chris Brightling & Ian Sayers, 2017, Allergy, 72(3), 473-482
DOI: 10.1111/all.13046
Type: article
Scaling up strategies of the chronic respiratory disease programme of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing
2017, Clinical and Translational Allergy, 6(29)
DOI: 10.1186/s13601-016-0116-9
Type: article
Altered epithelial gene expression in peripheral airways of severe asthma
Akul Singhania, Hitasha Rupani, Nivenka Jayasekera, Simon Lumb, Paul Hales, Neil Gozzard, Donna E. Davies, Christopher H. Woelk & Peter H. Howarth, 2017, PLoS ONE, 12(1)
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168680
Type: article
Severe asthma exists despite suppressed tissue inflammation: findings of the U-BIOPRED study
Susan J. Wilson, Jonathan A. Ward, Ana Sousa, Julie Corfield, Aruna T. Bansal, Bertrand De Meulder, Diane Lefaudeux, Charles Auffray, Matthew J. Loza, Frederic Baribaud, Neil Fitch, Peter J. Sterk, Kian Chung, David Gibeon, Kai Sun, Yi-Ke Guo, Ian Adcock, Ratko Djukanovic, Barbro Dahlen, Pascal Chanez, Dominick Shaw, Norbert Krug, Jens Hohlfeld, Thomas Sandtrom & Peter H. Howarth, 2016, European Respiratory Journal, 48(5), 1307-1319
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01129-2016
Type: article
Response [to SpD letter]
2016, Chest, 150(2), 474
DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.05.033
Type: letterEditorial