The COPD Foundation (COPDF) recently announced that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will fund the second phase (2012-2017) of the COPDGene project as R01 grants to National Jewish Health and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. The grant enables scientists to build on the first phase of the COPDGene Study in analyzing the human genome comprehensively to find additional genetic predispositions to developing COPD. By understanding the biological mechanisms causing COPD, the Study could lead to specific treatments that would prevent further progression of the disease.
"The importance of this Study, and NHLBI's continued funding, is paramount," says John W. Walsh, president and co-founder of the COPD Foundation. "This research has the potential to identify the set of genes that controls susceptibility to COPD. Such information would aid the development of new therapies that could improve the quality of life for individuals with COPD – and potentially save lives."
The COPDGene cohort of 10,171 subjects was created by medical centers across the US and is composed of subjects with a background of heavy smoking and who either have COPD or are at risk for developing this disease. In the second phase of this project, follow-up visits at a five-year interval from the initial visit will be done on all available COPDGene subjects in order to determine longitudinal changes in disease development and progression.
Walsh adds, "Ultimately, by providing a greater understanding of COPD, the COPDGene Study lays a solid foundation for the development of personalized therapy."
About COPD Foundation
The mission of the COPD Foundation is to develop and support programs, which improve the quality of life through research, education, early diagnosis, and enhanced therapy for persons whose lives are impacted by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The C.O.P.D. Information Line, 866-316-COPD (2673), is a toll-free number for information and referrals on COPD, offering callers access to peer-to-peer patients and caregiver associates.
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About Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 3.5 million annual patient visits, is the largest birthing center in New England and employs nearly 15,000 people. The Brigham's medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving nearly 1,000 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $625 million in funding. BWH continually pushes the boundaries of medicine, including building on its legacy in organ transplantation by performing the first face transplants in the U.S. in 2011. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies, OurGenes and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information and resources, please visit BWH's online newsroom.