Lung health and infections

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Lung Health and Infections

Lung health is a critical aspect of global health. Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) such as asthma and COPD are on a rise, especially in LMICs due to the adoption of a westernized lifestyle but also due to specific regional changes in environmental exposures. In the Global Health Unit, we aim to investigate the pathways and drivers of CRDs in LMICs to understand similarities and differences compared to patient populations in high-income countries. This information is crucial in developing new and context-adapted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in LMICs.

Photo (left) taken during the “Sustainable Household Energy Adoption in Rwanda (SHEAR)” research project, funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

Post-Tuberculosis Lung Disease (PTLD)

Respiratory infections still play a particularly significant role in shaping lung health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Unit Global Health focuses specifically on the long-term respiratory sequelae of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, collectively termed post-TB lung disease (PTLD), which occurs in up to 50% of microbiologically cured TB patients. PTLD represents a heterogeneous pattern of respiratory pathologies, leading to increased morbidity burden and shortened life expectancy. Our research activities are aiming for improving the clinical characterization of distinct PTLD-patterns (phenotypes) and the description of underlying patho-mechanisms, both are the basis for our research on host-directed-therapies (HDTs). Furthermore, we want to contribute to an improved understanding of environmental and endogenous cofactors modulating PTLD development and long-term disease behaviour. Our research is based on several longitudinal PTLD cohorts and clinical trials, conducted in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe, including the TB Sequel Project (www.tbsequel.org), one of the worldwide largest PTLD research projects.