PEOPLE with bronchiectasis are wanted for a West Australian trial testing a potential new treatment for the incurable lung condition.
Not-for-profit medical research body The Institute for Respiratory Health in Perth's western suburbs hopes the trials will improve the health of those suffering from the condition.
There is no known cure for bronchiectasis, where the bronchi (lung branches) are damaged and can't clear themselves. This can cause inflammation, leading to infections in the airways, and can prevent sufferers from breathing easily.
The condition can affect people of all ages, and can sometimes begin in childhood. It is more common in women and the elderly and in certain ethnic groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The team at the Institute for Respiratory Health hopes their research will help them learn more about how to better treat the disease.
They are calling for volunteers to take part in the clinical research trials.
Participants will be required to attend up to seven visits to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands.
The institute's Clinical Trials Unit head, Felicite Kelsall, urges anyone who has had a diagnosis of bronchiectasis to get in touch, to confirm their eligibility for the trial.
"We need to learn more about bronchiectasis, and being part of a clinical trial can help us to find better treatments for this condition," she said.
The not-for-profit medical research institute is committed to creating a better life for those living with respiratory conditions.
It also conducts clinical trials for a number of other respiratory illnesses including asthma, COPD/ emphysema, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.
If you live with bronchiectasis or any of the other mentioned respiratory conditions and want to help to find answers, email the team at admin@resphealth.uwa.edu.au or phone (08) 6457-3198 for more information.