Clinical Research Directory

Using Multiomics to Define Mechanisms of Rhinovirus-induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations to Develop Novel Therapies and Therapeutic Targets

The goal of this study is to examine exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by a common cold virus called rhinovirus, to identify new treatments. Exacerbations are flare-ups of respiratory symptoms which are a major cause of ill health in people with COPD, and are most commonly caused by viruses. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * What processes in the body occur in response to rhinovirus infection, and do the differences between people with COPD and healthy volunteers explain why people with COPD develop more severe illness and exacerbations? * Can treatments be identified that target these processes to reduce the severity and frequency of exacerbations in people with COPD? The study will compare eligible participants with COPD to healthy volunteers, and will involve intentionally infecting each participant with rhinovirus in a controlled environment. They will undergo baseline investigations prior to infection including a first bronchoscopy. Post-infection each participant will undergo a range of tests, including a second bronchoscopy, to compare how processes in the body, and especially the lungs, differ between people who do and do not have COPD.

A Rhinovirus Challenge Study to Investigate Exacerbations and Immune Responses in Bronchiectasis

The goal of this study is to determine if viral infection with the common cold leads to an exacerbation in participants with bronchiectasis. The investigators will compare the participants with bronchiectasis to a group of healthy participants. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does viral infection with the common cold lead to an exacerbation in bronchiectasis? * Does the immune response differ to that of a healthy participant? Participants will attend for a screening visit to see if they are eligible. All participants who are eligible and have consented to take part will have baseline investigations done including blood tests and a bronchoscopy. They will be given a spray of a virus that causes the common cold into their nose. They will then be followed up over the next 6 weeks with some of the following procedures at each study visit; spirometry, nasosorption, nasal lavage, nasal brushing, blood test, sputum collection and a bronchoscopy. Participants will be asked to keep a daily record of their symptoms throughout the study.