Ground-breaking research from the ERS Congress
Each year, a team from Asthma UK & the British Lung Foundation Partnership attends the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress (ERS).
Four days of cutting-edge science
Tens of thousands of lung researchers from around the world gather to hear about the latest developments in the field. But this year things were different. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year the conference was virtual, with all presentations and information presented online. This didn’t harm attendance though and at 33,000 participants, this was a record year for the conference.
What did we learn?
Some of the highlights of the talks we heard included:
Future diagnostic tests for asthma could rely on natural breathing. Dr Omar Usmani from Imperial College, London, demonstrated the potential benefit of oscillometry to diagnose and monitor asthma. Oscillometry uses sound waves to detect variations within the lungs and does not require the forced effort needed in spirometry. Some studies have suggested oscillometry could be better than spirometry at detecting a potential loss of asthma control and the effect of treatments. This holds great promise for millions of people with asthma, including children.
A robot doctor might be better than a human doctor. Martin Wiegand at the University of Cambridge showed that measuring how often someone coughs may be a useful tool for diagnosing certain lung conditions. As many conditions have similar symptoms, it can be a long and stressful process to make a diagnosis. This approach might be a great tool to distinguish between different lung conditions like chronic cough, COPD, and asthma, and get people on the right treatments for them. Another study suggested that analysing speech patterns on a mobile phone can detect breathlessness long before the symptoms are felt, demonstrating the usefulness of emerging technology.
Prevention of asthma in children might one day be possible. Professor Sejal Saglani from Imperial College, London highlighted the role of the immune system and the environment in the development of childhood asthma. Bacteria, viruses, air pollution each play an important role in causing asthma in children. Yet Professor Saglani’s work provides hope that we can identify the right environments and treatments that can encourage children’s immune systems to develop faster and protect them against the causes of asthma.
Conferences like the ERS are opportunities to learn from and connect with those at the forefront of asthma research
Both Dr Usmani and Professor Saglani are innovative, world-leading academics whose work has been supported by Asthma UK & the British Lung Foundation Partnership, and demonstrate the promise of new, simpler forms of diagnosis, and the potential to prevent asthma in children. We're already looking forward to the progress they can make in the next 12 months before the next congress.
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