Respiratory Diseases

Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect over 500M people worldwide and the annual cost of treatment in the US alone is almost $60B. Although these diseases are common, diagnosis is complex as the symptoms experienced overlap considerably, and are driven by multiple subtypes with different underlying biology.

At present, treatment relies on trial and error, where each error costs healthcare systems huge amounts of money and has a serious impact on a patient’s quality of life. A non-invasive breath test that is easy to administer and suitable for a wide range of patients would enable the right treatment to be offered sooner and would have a profound impact on both associated costs and quality of care.

Breath in direct contact with the respiratory tract, and so is especially enriched for volatile compounds originating from respiratory processes. Breath therefore offers a unique roster of potential biomarkers that can be collected non-invasively. Volatile compounds in exhaled breath have repeatedly shown promise in differentiating respiratory disease subtypes such as asthma. Some of these VOCs originate directly from the underlying inflammatory responses that cause these diseases, making them especially reliable indicators.

Case Studies

A detailed look at some of the research studies investigating biomarkers for different types respiratory diseases.

PARTNERS

We’re working on respiratory diseases with these groups:

FURTHER READING

Other recommended reading:

Respiratory Disease Infographic

Blog

Articles published on our blog related to respiratory diseases.

The Early Detection of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Using Breath Analysis
Breath Analysis: A Game-Changer in Early Invasive Aspergillosis Detection?
The potential role of VOCs in detecting and treating lung cancer
Leaders in the Field: Renelle Myers on translating breath research into the clinic
Working with University of Manchester to develop new asthma diagnostics
The Early Detection of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Using Breath Analysis
Breath Analysis: A Game-Changer in Early Invasive Aspergillosis Detection?
The potential role of VOCs in detecting and treating lung cancer
Leaders in the Field: Renelle Myers on translating breath research into the clinic
Working with University of Manchester to develop new asthma diagnostics