Award Professor Siddiqui received 拢2.9m from AstraZeneca to study rare autoimmune condition
Professor Salman Siddiqui, Clinical Chair of Respiratory Medicine at the National Heart & Lung Institute, also a committee member of the 蓝莓视频 BRC Imperial Respiratory Theme, has received a聽 拢2.9m award from AstraZeneca Plc. to study the role of聽Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a secreted molecule of a murine thymic stromal cell line, and alarmin biology聽in Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA). EGPA is an exceptionally rare autoimmune condition causing inflammation of small and medium-sized blood vessels (vasculitis) in individuals with a history of airway allergic hypersensitivity (atopy).
The funding is for a phase 2b聽trial聽of anti-TSLP聽in patients with stable non-severe EGPA and a deep phenotyping sub-study. The聽trial聽is an investigator-initiated, Professor Siddiqui, and Imperial-sponsored randomised control trial that will take place across 16 sites nationally and is being coordinated with the UK Vaculitis network.
will coordinate the management of the聽trial. Other aspects of the聽trial聽include single-cell sequencing for ILC2 cells and other relevant immune and stromal cells in bronchial biopsies and more broadly studying epithelial and remodelling biology in EGPA.
Several existing groups and labs at Imperial College are supporting the program including-
(1) , a cross-faculty research collaboration unit within Imperial College (Dr Stephen Mcadoo)
(2) at Imperial College London- facilitating single-cell sequencing
(3) Siddiqui Lab- providing support for remodelling biology
Local recruitment and a London-wide single-cell bronchoscopy sub-study will be conducted at the at the Hammersmith hospital.
The聽trial聽is important as pre-clinical evidence suggests that alarmins are critical in the induction of vasculitis in EGPA and may ultimately lead to new treatments for this rare and complex disease.
