The SCOPE study
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis are chronic airway diseases that increase the risk of reduced quality of life, hospitalisation and death. Despite this, access to new, effective treatments is limited. These diseases are characterised by complex and heterogeneous underlying causes, but a growing body of research points to a role for mucosal immune defence may in both symptom burden and disease progression.
Secretory IgA is the dominant antibody class in the body's mucous membranes and protects against pathogens by preventing them from invading tissue. Research shows that the transport of IgA across the airway epithelium is impaired in COPD, which may contribute to increased vulnerability to infections and inflammation. How the IgA system behaves in bronchiectasis remains entirely unexplored.
In the SCOPE study (Secretory IgA in Chronic Pulmonary disease – Observation, mapping and Evaluation), we are mapping IgA antibody levels, subclasses, structures and transport mechanisms in the upper and lower airways of patients with COPD and bronchiectasis, compared with healthy controls. We are also investigating whether disturbances in the airway IgA system can be detected through blood samples.
Samples are collected from approximately 600 research participants at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Danderyd Hospital within the Stockholm Region. Airway samples are also used to generate airway organoids – three-dimensional tissue models grown from the patients' own stem cells – to study antibody transport across the epithelium in disease-relevant environments.
The results could eventually form the basis for new treatments, such as an IgA-based inhalation therapy, for patients with chronic lung disease.
Funded by:
- The Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation
In collaboration with:
- Leiden University Medical Center (Manfred Wuhrer) – mass spectrometry analyses of antibody glycosylation
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sophia Hober)
- Uppsala University (Mikael Åberg)