{"id":1054,"date":"2026-01-11T13:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fund.southampton.ac.uk\/innovation\/?page_id=1054"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:45:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T09:45:59","slug":"respiratory-and-allergic-diseases","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fund.southampton.ac.uk\/innovation\/respiratory-and-allergic-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"Where respiratory and allergic diseases are diminished"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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WHERE     RESPIRATORY     AND ALLERGIC ILLNESSES
    ARE
    DIMI<\/mark>NISHED<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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WHERE     RESPIRATORY     AND ALLERGIC ILLNESSES
    ARE
    DIMI<\/mark>NISHED<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Imagine gasping for air, terrified the next breath might be your last.
For allergy sufferers and those with respiratory diseases, every day can be frightening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4M<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respiratory diseases cause around four million deaths worldwide every year, making them one of the leading causes of death globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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300M<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 300 million people worldwide live with asthma, and allergic diseases affect up to 40% of the global population, placing growing pressure on health systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1 in 5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, more than 1 in 5 people live with a respiratory condition, contributing to thousands of premature deaths each year and millions of GP visits and hospital admissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Respiratory diseases are ruining lives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Respiratory diseases affect one in five people worldwide, yet global research lags behind illnesses like cancer and heart disease.  The number of people admitted to hospital for conditions affecting the lungs has doubled in the last twenty years, and pollution is now credited as a factor in up to 36,000 deaths every year.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closely linked to respiratory conditions, allergies are the most common chronic illness in Europe and they\u2019re on the rise. Every year, severe allergic reactions account for 25,000 NHS hospital stays in England alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lungs are central to our good health. Evidence suggests inhibited respiratory function can have terrible repercussions. Not only does lung damage increase the risk of cancer, but reduced lung function reduces cognitive ability and can lead to dementia. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Imagine gasping for air, terrified the next breath might be your last.
For allergy sufferers and those with respiratory diseases, every day can be frightening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

4 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respiratory diseases cause around four million deaths worldwide every year, making them one of the leading causes of death globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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300 million<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 300 million people worldwide live with asthma, and allergic diseases affect up to 40% of the global population, placing growing pressure on health systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1 in 5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, more than 1 in 5 people live with a respiratory condition, contributing to thousands of premature deaths each year and millions of GP visits and hospital admissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Respiratory diseases are ruining lives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Respiratory diseases affect one in five people worldwide, yet global research lags behind illnesses like cancer and heart disease.  The number of people admitted to hospital for conditions affecting the lungs has doubled in the last twenty years, and pollution is now credited as a factor in up to 36,000 deaths every year.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closely linked to respiratory conditions, allergies are the most common chronic illness in Europe and they\u2019re on the rise. Every year, severe allergic reactions account for 25,000 NHS hospital stays in England alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lungs are central to our good health. Evidence suggests inhibited respiratory function can have terrible repercussions. Not only does lung damage increase the risk of cancer, but reduced lung function reduces cognitive ability and can lead to dementia. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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HELPING THE WORLD BREATHE EASIER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

HELPING THE WORLD BREATHE EASIER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our engineers and scientists have created a microscopic \u201clung on a chip\u201d device<\/strong>, so we can model a human lung to better observe the effect of respiratory diseases and drug testing on this complex organ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded by the Natasha Allergy Foundation, we are conducting oral immunotherapy clinical trials seeking to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis in children<\/strong> using everyday foodstuffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work drives policy and legislative changes in air pollution, and our research was crucial in a landmark High Court ruling<\/strong> on the death of a child with asthma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We discovered a gene mutation that can cause asthma and are currently trialling a drug that could provide treatment for millions of people with severe asthma.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Lung on a chip” device<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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“Lung on a chip” device<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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THE IMI WILL ACCELERATE RESEARCH<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your generosity will help us change lives for the better. With your help, the IMI will focus on bringing together our experts in air pollution, allergy, asthma<\/strong> and other chronic respiratory conditions,<\/strong> to deliver faster diagnoses, new treatments and even cures to diseases that have previously been considered incurable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IMI will help us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the next medical breakthrough in respiratory disease<\/strong> \u2013 bringing together new technology and the incredible array of data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic we will make new discoveries and work towards new cures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnose respiratory illness faster and more accurately <\/strong>\u2013 working with data specialists, using advanced imaging technology in the IMI we will create earlier and faster diagnosis systems, identifying tiny changes in a patient’s cells that the human eye cannot detect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design better treatments to improve the lives of millions of patients with respiratory disease<\/strong> \u2013 by increasing our capability to analyse trial data at speed, we will advance our work in gene therapy and develop treatments that can be used on real patients, faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treat and prevent allergies from developing in early childhood<\/strong> \u2013 by bringing data science into our food allergy research, we hope to understand why children develop food allergies in the first place, why some respond better than others to treatments, and develop preventative measures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Related case studies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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