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The study of the development, progression, remission, and treatment of lung diseases helps to unravel the underlying mechanisms of airway obstruction, allergies, and airway hyperresponsiveness.
The GRIAC research on obstructive airway and lung diseases is aimed at:
Although lung diseases cannot be cured yet, various treatments can help to control the symptoms and improve the lung patients’ quality of life.
The GRIAC researchers examine the mechanisms underlying lung disease to:
The GRIAC research programme focuses on epidemiology, genomics, molecular medicine, and clinical medicine.
The long-standing expertise in identifying risk factors and the availability of large, prospective, long-term cohorts in which patients and populations are followed (such as LifeLines), as well as the collaboration with the Department of Genetics allows the development of extensive subprogrammes, including studies on exposomics, genome- and epigenome-wide associations, genome-wide interactions, and transcriptome sequencing. These efforts have resulted in the identification of numerous novel genetic loci related to the onset and progression of asthma and COPD.
Based on proteomic and lipidomic research, the GRIAC researchers were able to identify disease susceptibility and progression markers. The programme has a long-standing collaboration with the proteomics facility and has recently been joined by a member of the European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), which strengthens the programme’s focus on bioinformatic analyses of integrated genomic data sets.
The GRIAC researchers are actively engaged in studies that link clinical outcomes to pathophysiology and molecular basis. For instance, based on the results of omics studies, the GRIAC researchers examine the functionality of genes and proteins in lung diseases using molecular approaches for:
The GRIAC researchers also explore intracellular and intercellular pathways for:
The GRIAC researchers use in vivo and in vitro models, including complex disease models such as organoids, lung hydrogels, and organ-on-chip models to unravel underlying mechanisms of disease and identify novel drug targets. Based on these drug targets, the GRIAC researchers can develop new therapeutics in collaboration with different partners, e.g. the Department of Pharmacy and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.
Our research focuses on patients and their wellbeing. The translational approach used by the GRIAC programme includes:
The management of obstructive and pulmonary disease is slowly shifting towards precision medicine. The GRIAC research programme is in an excellent position to conduct intervention studies examining genomic markers. The GRIAC researchers are actively involved in the development of clinical questionnaires for disease diagnosis and monitoring disease control. Pulmonary rehabilitation and novel bronchoscopic intervention techniques as treatment options for COPD are currently being evaluated.
In 2012, a GRIAC researcher led the first large-scale intervention study on the role of tiotropium in asthma.
To learn from patients and to gain more insight into how they perceive the disease, three-monthly patient advisory board meetings are being held to use patient input for new projects and to reflect on completed projects. In addition, the patient advisory board has also been invited to share their views in the Master’s/PhD programme Translational Research in Respiratory Disease, which highlights the translational work conducted within the GRIAC programme.
Recent results are highlighted in the GRIAC Annual Report 2021.
Other annual reports:
Secretariat Pulmonary diseases: Ms. Suzanne Mensink
University Medical Center Groningen
PO Box 30.001
9700 RB Groningen
The Netherlands
House postal code AA11
Visiting address
University Medical Center Groningen
Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC)
Room T3.260
Hanzeplein 1
9713 GZ Groningen
The Netherlands