We would like to send our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. Your incredible support has been the driving force behind all we’ve accomplished in 2024, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

This year, with your help, we continued to make strides in interstitial lung diseases, like pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and lung infection research. From exploring cutting-edge PF treatments to advancing our understanding of the immune response to pneumonia and the interaction between COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and bronchiectasis – every milestone is a testament to your generosity.

Key research achievements in 2024

• The year started with the publication of our findings on remote monitoring of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Collaborative efforts were led by Dr Malik Althobiani as part of his PhD with Professors John Hurst and Jo Porter. One of the biggest challenges in ILD is rapid and acute deterioration – patients have a 40% chance (on average) of having an exacerbation each year, a risk which we believe is reduced to 20% with antifibrotic medication. Malik followed ILD patients with home spirometry and wearables and showed that we could pick up early deterioration. We have a long way to go, but perhaps this will be a way to pick up acute exacerbations before patients even realise that their breathing is worse. We may be able to intervene earlier and carry out essential clinical trials into acute exacerbations of ILD.  
• UCLH was part of an international commercial study to investigate Nalbuphine Tablets for Cough in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. The initial study was promising and we are now part of a larger ongoing study that we hope will report next year.
• The ILDs are a very heterogeneous group of diseases with varying amounts of interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Some patients gradually deteriorate; some undergo stepwise progression, whilst others decline rapidly. We have shown over several years and imaging hundreds of patients with ILD that a PET (positron emission tomography) scan, which is normally performed for cancer, lights up the lungs in patients with ILD, but not in control patients with normal lungs. The brighter the signal the worse the prognosis, but until now we were not sure what was causing the signal. We have now published data showing that the PET signal appears to correlate with new blood vessel formation (neo-angiogenesis) in the damaged lung. We are investigating this further with another PET scan tracer called gallium-68 PSMA which is another marker of neo-angiogenesis. We hope to publish the results of this study in 2025.
• We are always aware that quality of life is an important consideration for our patients and we were saddened, but not surprised to see that, in patients with the most severe forms of progressive pulmonary fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the quality of life falls off every year after diagnosis. In comparison, patients with more inflammatory forms of ILD showed an improvement in quality of life. This is the impetus that we need to really work at finding a better way to improve quality of life in all our patients. One way that we might be able to help is to understand the loss of skeletal muscle (or sarcopenia) in patients with ILD.
• Osama Alsuhimi, our PhD student and respiratory therapist, is looking at the links between chronic lung disease, inflammation and loss of muscle strength (sarcopenia). He is also going to look closer at the diaphragm in ILD and how we can preserve function of this amazing muscle that separates the abdominal cavity from your lungs and helps you breathe. Ultimately, inspired by a remarkable patient, Bill Freedman, we are planning some work with our Canadian colleagues (Bill was from Canada originally) to look more at muscle strength training and quality of life in ILD/IPF – watch this space.
• Michelle Stainbrook, recipient of the 2024 British Association of Lung Research-Breathing Matters Summer Studentship, conducted groundbreaking research on fibroblast cells and identified 11 potential genes related to pulmonary fibrosis, focusing on NUAK1, and will present her findings at a Cambridge conference in 2025.
• Another area of increasing interest in interstitial lung disease is the use of novel cancer treatments that can cause lung inflammation and fibrosis, particularly in patients that have ILD when they start treatment. We are hoping to study this more so that patients with ILD are not denied life-saving treatment because of the risk of worsening their lung disease. We are working with a national group of respiratory physicians and oncologists to answer critical questions such as: Can we predict who is at risk of treatment-induced ILD? Can we rechallenge patients that have had a treatment reaction affecting the lungs if that drug is going to cure their cancer? How should we best diagnose and treat pneumonitis caused by cancer treatments?
• In our lung infection section, there is an increasing recognition of the importance of lung infection as a driver of ill health both in healthy patients and those with chronic lung disease. In 2024, the UCL respiratory infection group published papers looking at how our immune system protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae, the major cause of pneumonia in the UK. The data show that, although we all develop protective antibodies to pneumoniae, the levels of these antibodies are much lower in people with rheumatoid arthritis. This is probably due to the treatments these patients receive to dampen down the inflammation that causes their joint disease, and this suggests many other types of patients who receive similar treatments for other inflammatory diseases will also have weaker antibody protection against S. pneumoniae.
• UCL were co-authors on several papers that were published by the Phosp-COVID consortium which have described the ongoing effects of long COVID and a very detailed analysis of the effects on the immune system.
• UCL researchers were also involved in a major paper on bronchiectasis that described in detail the overlap between patients with bronchiectasis and with chronic obstructive airways disease (COPD). This is a complicated area as both bronchiectasis and COPD cause similar effects on the results of lung function tests, as do several other lung diseases. This makes teasing out the relative contribution of COPD or bronchiectasis to impaired lung function difficult. The paper used data from 16,000 patients with bronchiectasis to show that 45% of those labelled as also having COPD did not in fact have COPD; but those that were accurately labelled as having COPD and bronchiectasis had more severe disease, and were more likely to have exacerbations or to be admitted to hospital. 
• The Bronch UK study (to which UCL contribute) also published a paper in 2024 which looked closely at the bacteria that were found in the sputum (and therefore in the lungs) of patients with bronchiectasis. This paper adds more information to what is a surprisingly complex area that still defies a clear understanding despite years of research.
• Professor Brown continues to advise the UK government on vaccines as a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Despite COVID being much less of a problem than it has been, the vaccine world remained very busy in 2024. A new highly effective vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which causes a flu-like illness and is a major cause of exacerbation of lung diseases, such as bronchiectasis, was introduced for use in 75 to 79 year olds. Next year, we will see how effective this has been, and then may be able to extend who receives the vaccine to people with chronic lung disease and the over 80s. Only a few years ago, there was only a couple of vaccines used routinely in adults (against flu and pneumoniae); now, with the addition of vaccines for COVID, RSV and shingles (all viruses), there are five, and there are several additional vaccines against both viruses and bacteria that will potentially be introduced over the next five years. Hence, the vaccine situation for adults is undergoing a transformation that we hope will have powerful benefits for their health in the future, and for reducing the strain placed on hospitals caring for patients with these infections. Vaccines remain the single most effective way of protecting yourself against deteriorations in chronic lung diseases. For example, our work has shown after severe COVID pneumonia there is ongoing inflammation in the lungs many months not due to persistent infection with the virus, but rather to a general unleashing of the body’s immune response to having had COVID.
• We are all increasingly aware of the impact of pollution and climate change and are starting to incorporate important questions about the impact of these on patients with pulmonary fibrosis and lung infection in our research portfolio. Many of our patients find the hotter weather difficult for their breathing – perhaps the air becomes ‘thinner’ as it becomes warmer, so that it is as if we are at altitude even when we are at sea-level. We are worried that patients with lung disease will be one of the first groups to start suffering in the UK and we therefore urge everyone, even if not directly impacted yet, to work towards a sustainable environment and lifestyle. We are part of a large UCL consortium to look at climate fluctuations (temperature and humidity) in patients’ homes and how this impacts on symptoms and lung function. Our latest bid is to the Medical Research Council for a climate chamber; literally a room where we can alter temperature and humidity and look at the impact on patients with pulmonary fibrosis and how to circumvent these issues.

We are constantly trying to get better and better to give you more and more support and, this year, we published some new in-depth web pages, including, What causes IPF?, Is IPF genetic? and Oxygen therapy for pulmonary fibrosis  Why don’t you take a look – knowledge is power!

As well as research, we have had a chance to meet many of you in person, which is such a pleasure after all the years when we couldn’t. We celebrated International Clinical Trials Research Week in June and had a stand at UCLH to talk about our work. This was followed by the hugely successful Bronchiectasis Patient Education Evening, in July.  It was such a pleasure to be invited to the ILD Patient Support Group in November at UCLH to talk to the patients about the work that we do in clinical trials and research. We had a great afternoon which culminated in a sing-along and survey, but more of that below. 

 

People often ask us how you can prioritise your well-being.  Here’s a thought for 2025: if you’re a smoker, make this the year to quit – and maybe channel some of the money you save into supporting causes you care about. Stay on top of your vaccinations, focus on eating nutritious meals, enjoy everything in moderation and make regular physical activity a part of your daily routine. Love your Lungs!  Perhaps 2025 is the year when you focus on your diaphragm – that wonderful muscle that helps you breathe. When you breathe in, your upper chest, shoulder and neck muscles should not move, but your belly should come out, just like Santa Claus. If you need some help, take a look at these fabulous training videos. Why not have a go at singing – either on your own or in a singing group? Our small pilot study conducted at November’s ILD Patient Support Group found that our patients reported that singing resulted in increased mood, energy and helped with breathlessness. We also encourage exercise, as long as you don’t get too short of breath or become dizzy, lightheaded or develop chest pain. 

Thank you

A MASSIVE thank you to all our amazing supporters who have raised funds in so many incredible ways this year—running marathons, half-marathons, 5K and 10K races along with treks and cycles, organising stalls, events, golf days and concerts and conquering obstacle races. Your amazing efforts mean the world to us!

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the families who have chosen to honour their loved ones by raising funds for our charity at funerals. Your generosity during such a deeply personal and emotional time is truly humbling, and your support creates a lasting legacy in memory of those you hold dear.

A very special shout-out goes to the family of Michael Scott, who organised an art exhibition in Michael’s memory this November, raising an incredible £10,000. Artists Laura Wallace and Annabel Pope generously donated 20% of all sales and have kindly extended this offer until Christmas. So, if you’re looking for unique gifts this Christmas, browse their artwork and simply mention ‘Breathing Matters’ as you purchase. More info here.

We would also like to give a special thank you to our supporters who chose to donate a living legacy this year. This incredible gesture allows them to make a meaningful impact during their lifetime, witness the positive changes their contributions bring, and actively collaborate on ideas for future research initiatives.

It is always a pleasure to celebrate #Breathtember with you, PF World Awareness Month. This September, we had a Lucky 13 Step Challenge, and I really hope that many of you will join us for the challenge in September 2025 which will be upon us before we know.

Thank you to those of you who attended our Christmas Concert earlier this month which was such a lovely start to the Christmas season.  We hope you all had a chance to join in with the singing and exercise your lungs!  A massive thank you to Jane Walker, who has been our concert organiser for a remarkable 10 years. 

How you can get involved

As 2024 comes to a close, we deeply appreciate your steadfast support, which forms the foundation of Breathing Matters. Your generous donations, whether one-off or regular, are the lifeblood of our vital research. In these challenging financial times for health charities, your contributions empower us to persevere and continue our pioneering work.

This year, we are approaching our 14th anniversary and we encourage you to become a part of our story. There are many ways to get involved:

• Website – Sign up to receive news on our research and event.
• Help spread the word, through social media platforms or word of mouth.
• Fundraise – We have popular events all over the UK, and the Tough Mudders are new to our events portfolio for 2025. There are plenty more national and international challenges on our Fundraising page.
• Leave a legacy – or leave a living legacy so you can see what your donation has achieved.
• Donate or support us with regular contributions, which provides us with consistent support to enable us to plan our research more effectively.
• Don’t forget to check out our online shop for unique merchandise, including personalised gifts and awareness items.
• You’ll also find a variety of charity cards for Christmas and many other occasions. Explore the collection here!

We pause to honour the memory of those we’ve lost this year to pulmonary fibrosis, COVID-19, bronchiectasis, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. For those facing their first Christmas without a loved one, our thoughts are with you.

You may like to read our updated ILD Research Report, maybe over a hot drink and mince pie, to find out how your support has advanced our research into interstitial lung diseases.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas filled with love, joy peace and comfort, and a New Year that brings health and happiness to you and your family.

With heartfelt warmth and affection

The Breathing Matters Team

 

 

Ready to make a difference in 2025? There are many ways to donate:

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  Through our donation page

• Via bank transfer – contact breathingmatters@ucl.ac.uk for full details

• Justgiving Page – to be able to leave a message or a memory for all to see

• ‘Old school’ cheques still accepted

• Don’t forget Gift Aid – Gift Aid allows us to claim an extra 25% on your donation from the government at no cost to you, simply by confirming you’re a UK taxpayer by either enclosing a gift aid form with your donation or by ticking the gift aid box for online donations

• All information on how to donate is on our donation page