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October 2016: Update task force “Cross fertilization between research areas”

The taskforce “Cross fertilization between research areas” is developing a symposium, tentatively entitled “Cross-border thinking: a key to success in Dutch respiratory research”. The aim of this symposium is to stimulate innovative approaches for respiratory research. To achieve this, it is important to have an open eye for developments in other research areas and implement suitable research approaches and techniques into respiratory research. Involving patients in research is also a means to stimulate cross-border thinking by bringing in a different perspective. The aim of this symposium is to stimulate cross-border thinking in respiratory research by inspiring lectures and an interactive workshop. This interactive lunch session aims to bring together different disciplines and backgrounds around one topic.
The symposium is targeted at basic and clinical scientists and clinicians interested in respiratory research and care. The symposium is scheduled for the spring of 2017, and the program will be finished and speakers will be invited before the end of 2016.

 

Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2016

News from the Netherlands.

Development of the National Program Lung Research: ’Life Long Lungs’

Dirkje S Postma, Peter J Wijkstra, Pieter S Hiemstra, Barbro N Melgert, Gert-Jan Braunstahl, Machteld N Hylkema, Peter J Sterk.

Summary

Respiratory diseases have a huge personal, societal and economic impact. The main three, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and respiratory infections, are all in the WHO top-10 major killers worldwide, causing 8.1 million deaths annually.

The Netherlands Respiratory Society (NRS; www.nrs-science.nl), founded in 2009, has therefore initiated the development of a National Program Lung Research entitled ‘Life Long Lungs’, to strengthen collaborative efforts in the Netherlands and to improve the perspective for affected patients. The Dutch National Program Respiratory Research is a vivid example of how all parties in a country are now collaborating to improve research (www.nationaalprogrammalongonderzoek.nl).

After internal consultation amongst scientists within NRS and external peer review a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was performed on Dutch research in all respiratory disease areas. This became input into a broad face to face conference at which patients, care providers, researchers and policy makers collectively decided on priority areas that are combining the needs, opportunities and Dutch research potential, thereby providing real impact for patients and society.

The priority areas are:

1. Overarching disease mechanisms. Impact: novel therapies by cross-fertilisation
2. Phenotyping and monitoring. Impact: patient-tailored diagnosis and treatment (P4 medicine: preventive, predictive, participating, personalized)
3. Regenerative medicine. Impact: reduction in tissue damage, cure
4. Reduction of fatigue in patients with lung diseases. Impact: lower burden of disease (patient) and increased societal participation (societal impact)
5. Early determinants and detection. Impact: ‘sustainable health’, ‘putting evidence on lifestyle’.

This Dutch National Program Respiratory Research is now being implemented by collaborations with governmental, charity and industrial entities that are preparing calls for biomedical research. During this whole process international collaborations are being encouraged.

References

1. WHO statistics 2015 http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/projections/en/
2. ERS Whitebook 
   http://www.erswhitebook.org/chapters/the-burden-of-lung-disease/
3. D’Amato G, Holgate ST, Pawankar R, et al Meteorological conditions, climate change, new emerging factors, and asthma and related allergic disorders. A statement of the World Allergy Organization. World Allergy Organ J. 2015; 8(1): 25.

1. McCall . UK medical research gets political. Lancet, 2015;April 11;385(9976):1381-3
    

The Lancet: Artikel Nationaal Programma Longonderzoek: klik hier voor het volledige artikel

Tijdens de Longdagen 2016 werd de brochure “Vijf kansrijke gebieden” uitgereikt door Dirkje Postma aan prof. dr. Jan Raaijmakers, boegbeeld van de Nederlands Topsektor Life Sciences & Health. 

Download de brochure “Vijf kansrijke gebieden”

Op 18 april 2016 heeft de NRS een persbericht uit doen gaan over "De vijf beste kansen voor Nederlands longonderzoek". Om het bericht te lezen, klik hier

De Volkskrant heeft een speciale editie over Hart, Vaat en Longen uitgebracht, met daarin o.a. interviews met Dirkje Postma, Peter Wijkstra en Peter Sterk. Om te lezen klik hier

Op 20-22 november 2015 was de conferentie “Een Leven Lang Longen”. Hieronder een korte registratie van dit congres.

Een voortvarend begin

Na maanden van voorbereiding was het eindelijk zover: op 10 november 2014 kwamen professionals uit het brede veld van longonderzoek bij elkaar om de aftrap te geven voor het Nationaal Programma Longonderzoek. Vol enthousiasme zetten de aanwezigen belangrijke stappen op weg naar preventie en optimale behandeling van longziekten. In drie groepen gingen ze aan de slag met de eerste zes doelstellingen van het Nationaal Programma Longonderzoek. De resultaten leest u op de Taskforce pagina’s.