Research highlights from the 2018 European Respiratory Society International Congress: airway disease

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Airway Diseases Assembly

In this review, early career and senior members of Assembly 5 (Airway Diseases, Asthma, COPD and Chronic Cough) present key recent findings pertinent to airway diseases that were presented during the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2023 in Milan, Italy, with a particular focus on asthma, COPD, chronic cough and bronchiectasis. During the congress, an increased number of symposia, workshops and abstract presentations were organised. In total, 739 abstracts were submitted for Assembly 5 and the majority of these were presented by early career members. These data highlight the increased interest in this group of respiratory diseases.

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Allergy Development and Prevention

There has been a substantial increase in the incidence and the prevalence of allergic disorders in the recent decades, which seems to be related to rapid environmental and lifestyle changes, such as higher exposure to factors thought to exert pro-allergic effects but less contact with factors known to be associated with protection against the development of allergies. Pollution is the most remarkable example of the former, while less contact with microorganisms, lower proportion of unprocessed natural products in diet, and others resulting from urbanization and westernization of the lifestyle exemplify the latter. It is strongly believed that the effects of environmental factors on allergy susceptibility and development are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, i.e. biologically relevant biochemical changes of the chromatin carrying transcriptionally-relevant information but not affecting the nucleotide sequence of the genome. Classical epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation and histone modifications, for instance acetylation or methylation. In addition, microRNA controls gene expression at the mRNA level. Such epigenetic mechanisms are involved in crucial regulatory processes in cells playing a pivotal role in allergies. Those include centrally managing cells, such as T lymphocytes, as well as specific structural and effector cells in the affected organs, responsible for the local clinical presentation of allergy, e.g. epithelial or airway smooth muscle cells in asthma. Considering that allergic disorders possess multiple clinical (phenotypes) and mechanistic (endotypes) forms, targeted, stratified treatment strategies based on detailed clinical and molecular diagnostics are required. Since conventional diagnostic or therapeutic approaches do not suffice, this gap could possibly be filled out by epigenetic approaches.

Current developments and future directions in COPD

The European Respiratory Society journals publish respiratory research and policy documents of the highest quality, offering a platform for the exchange and promotion of scientific knowledge. In this article, focusing on COPD, the third leading cause of death globally, we summarise novel research highlights focusing on the disease's underlying mechanisms, epidemiology and management, with the aim to inform and inspire respiratory clinicians and researchers.

Current developments and future directions in COPD: a critical summary of some of the most recent ground-breaking research studies and policy documents from @ERSpublicationshttps://bit.ly/3oW0xDM

ERS International Congress, Madrid, 2019: highlights from the Airway Diseases, Asthma and COPD Assembly

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2019 in Madrid, Spain, was a platform for scientific discussion of the highest quality scientific research, cutting-edge techniques and innovative new therapies within the respiratory field. This article discusses some of the high-quality research studies presented at that Congress, with a focus on airway diseases, including asthma, COPD, small airways, bronchiectasis and cough, presented through the Airway Diseases, Asthma and COPD Assembly (Assembly 5) of the ERS. The authors establish the key take-home messages of these studies, compare their findings and place them into context of current understanding.