Dr P Howarth: 'Wessex severe asthma cohort'

Staff

Other researchers

Emeritus Professor Donna Davies

Research interests

Mechanisms of lung diseases
Viral-induced exacerbations of lung disease
Asthma

Connect with Donna

Email: D.E.Davies@soton.ac.uk

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: rd1@soton.ac.uk

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