Type: Chest

Grant holder: Dr Pallavi Bedi, University of Edinburgh

Amount Awarded: £4,966

Year: 2014 - finished

Bronchiectasis is a chronic disabling condition. Patients suffer daily cough, sputum production and recurrent chest infections. However, this remains an ‘orphan’ disease with limited research done. In bronchiectasis there is an ongoing cycle of infection and inflammation in the airways with more than two-third of patients being infected at all times. The white cells protect the lungs against infection. They can however also cause damage in the lungs if not cleared. This study proposes to look at whether there is a persistence of these white cells in bronchiectasis compared to pneumonia patients. This research offers a potential new non-antibiotic target.