Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)

The Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) research group undertakes research into a range of disease characterised by inflammation or fibrosis of lung tissue. 

The commonest of these disorders are: 

  • idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  • sarcoidosis 
  • hypersensitivity pneumonitis
  • ILD associated with connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. 

The research group, oversees the largest ILD service in Europe, with around 5000 patients registered at the hospital. 

Current research areas

  • Clinical trials of new drugs for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  • Discovery of new biomarkers for ILD
  • Assessing rituximab as a novel treatment for progressive connective disease-related ILD
  • Study of the lung microbiome in IPF
  • Studies of prognostic evaluation using novel measures of disease severity
  • The development of novel staging system to identify dangerous sarcoidosis