Windfall in fight to ease lung pain

Aug 31 2007 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM medics have been awarded £1.8 million for research into a fatal lung condition.

Professors at Heart of England Trust were awarded the grant by the Medical Research Council.

The cash will help them investigate and develop new drugs to treat respiratory dis-tress syndrome (ARDS), which cases breathing failure in critically ill patients.

Researchers will now lead the project across 60 intensive care units nationwide after being handed the largest research grant in the history of UK critical care medicine.

Prof Fang Gao-Smith, a consultant in critical care who is leading the project, said the grant will allow her team to trial a new drug treatment aimed at reducing the death rate for patients with ARDS.

"I am delighted that the MRC has recognised the research we have been carrying out," she said. "This grant will allow experienced and trained staff to carry out the project and improve the chances of survival for these patients."

The respiratory problem can cause a deadly complication for patients.

If the team see successful results in a full scale trial it will mean thousands of lives could be saved around the world.