University of California starts a clinical trial of Lung Macrophage Populations and Functions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-Susceptible Smokers

University of California, San Francisco is starting a new clinical trial of Lung Macrophage Populations and Functions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-Susceptible Smokers.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease that affects only a fraction of those who smoke tobacco. The origin of this variability in susceptibility to develop COPD is unclear, but understanding its underlying biology has important implications for our ability to design suitable preventative and therapeutic strategies for its management. This Department of Defense (DOD) discovery research proposes to develop methodologies and generate preliminary data needed to lay the foundation for a large study that would investigate the underlying biological susceptibility of those who smoke tobacco to develop COPD.

To perform a more comprehensive molecular and functional phenotype examination of lung macrophages, additional methodologies will be developed including a second mass cytometry (CyTOF) panel for single-cell proteomics and CyTOF-based phagocytosis and efferocytosis assays to allow for performance of truly single-cell functional phenotyping of myeloid cells from BAL and lung tissue.

Among the exclusion criteria are:

• Any history of IV drug use or inhalation of recreational drugs other than marijuana: A- within the past 20 years. B- more than 100 times IV drug usage. C- longer than 1 year usage.
• Marijuana use >400 joints in lifetime or any within past 6 months.
• Inability to walk briskly, run on treadmill, or pedal on ergometer to perform the study-required exercise level.
• Pregnant/breast feeding.
• Serious and active heart conditions- defined by stable or unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction (within the last 2 years), active congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy.
• Liver cirrhosis.
• History of chronic active Hepatitis B or C.

The clinical trial starts in March 1, 2021 and will continue throughout December 31, 2022.

The contacts and locations are the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco, California, United States; San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California, United States and University of California, San Francisco, California, United States.

For more details: https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT04722835