Welcome to EpiCentral
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Featured Highlights
Asthma Heatmap Tool
Do you know the proportion of patients with severe uncontrollable asthma in your area?
Pathological changes and symptoms of asthma – 3D animation
EPICENTRAL
Our Mission
Despite advances in diagnosis and management, many patients with respiratory disease still experience sub-optimal disease control.1–3 In a quest for elevated patient care, understanding the central role of the epithelium as an immune-functioning organ in both upper and lower airway disease is critical.3–5
Much of respiratory disease pathogenesis can be understood by exploring the Type-2 and beyond Type-2 inflammatory cascades that start at the epithelium.4–7 Increased understanding of the epithelium should therefore inform scientific exchange, exploring ways to improve disease stability and achieve remission.8–10
Earlier and more regular monitoring is crucial to manage the dynamic and complex nature of epithelial-driven disease and better patient outcomes.3,7,11,12
EpiCentral has been co-created with international experts to provide educational content, tools, and resources to further scientific exchange and enhance clinical practice in the ‘epithelial era’.
1.Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. 2024. https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GINA-2024-Strategy-Report-24_05_22_WMS.pdf Accessed August 2024. 2. Wang E, et al. Chest. 2020;157:790–804. 3. Fokkens W, et al. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2023;56:1–10. 4. Bartemes KR, et al. Clin Immunol. 2012;143:222–235. 5. Gauvreau GM, et al. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2020;24:777–792. 6. Cohen L, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007;176:138–145. 7. Chapman DG, et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 2015;45:706–719. 8. Menzies-Gow A, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145:757–765. 9. Thomas D, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60:2102583. 10. Lommatzsch M, et al. Lancet. 2022;399(10335):1664–1668. 11. Busse WW. Allergol Int. 2019;68:158–166. 12. Tran TN, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116:37–42.
Meet our epicreators
Meet the international team of experts who have co-created EpiCentral content and educational resources.
“EpiCentral is an incredible new initiative, and it refocuses our attention on the epithelium.”
Professor Louis-Philippe Boulet, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Laval University
“In the last three decades, I’ve been involved in research in asthma and respiratory allergy, as well as in education and knowledge translation in respiratory health.”
Professor Christopher Brightling, PhD, FMedSci
Clinical Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Leicester and Glenfield Hospital
“My particular area of interest is airway diseases, in particular severe asthma, and trying to understand what are the underlying mechanisms.”
Assistant Professor Marco Caminati, MD
Assistant Professor in Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona
“My research interests focus on immunological and allergic diseases, in particular severe asthma and rare dysimmune conditions with hyper-eosinophilia.”
Professor Pascal Chanez, MD, PhD
Professor in the Department of Respiratory Diseases, University of Aix-Marseille
“My particular interest is in the bronchial epithelium and its relation to allergy and environment in chronic severe bronchial diseases.”
Dr Simon Couillard, MD-MSc
Assistant Professor in Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke
“EpiCentral is an important platform to tackle our rapidly evolving knowledge of the airway epithelium as the epicentre of asthma.”
Associate Professor Delbert (Del) Dorscheid, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia
“I am currently investigating how repeated cycles of injury and repair of the airway epithelium contribute to the development of asthma.”
Professor Teal S. Hallstrand, MD, MPH
Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington
“My particular interests are the management of difficult-to-control asthma and the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness including exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.”
Professor Enrico Heffler, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Humanitas University
“My main clinical interests focus on inflammatory airway diseases, immunological mechanisms of allergic diseases, asthma, rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, anaphylaxis and food allergy.”
Dr Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
“My primary research focus is on the causative mechanisms of AERD, severe asthma and nasal polyposis.”
Professor Bruce Levy, MD
Division Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
“I have a longstanding interest in exploring the fascinating biology of the airway epithelium and its role in health and disease.”
Professor Gianni Marone, MD
Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II
“Our team is working in the Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research of the University of Naples Federico II and focuses on inflammatory mediators in allergic diseases.”
Professor Ian Pavord, MA, DM, FRCP, FERS, FMedSci
Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Oxford
“My research focuses on identifying and validating biomarkers of eosinophilic, Type-2 airway inflammation in asthma and COPD.”
Professor Celeste Porsbjerg, MD, PhD
Professor of Severe Asthma, Bispebjerg Hospital
“I am an expert in severe asthma, and I have a longstanding interest in the airway epithelium.”
Associate Professor Gilda Varricchi, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Naples Federico II
“My research area of interest is on the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and allergic diseases, including the roles of eosinophils, basophils, mast cells, macrophages and specific cytokines in allergic disorders.”
Professor MeiLan Han, MD, MS
Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Health System and Director of the Michigan Airways Program
“My research interests are related to large clinical trials in COPD, defining disease phenotypes, new screening methods and treatment interventions, as well as the impact of smoking and smoke exposure on lung health.”
Dr Anju Peters, MD
Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief of Clinical Research and Practice Innovation, Northwestern University
“My primary research focus is in chronic rhinosinusitis and comorbid conditions. I have published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in this field.”
Professor Claire Hopkins, BM BCh, FRCS(ORLHNS)
Consultant ENT Surgeon and Professor of Rhinology at King’s College
“My research focuses on improving outcomes of medical and surgical treatments for nasal conditions.”
Professor Dr Klaus Rabe, MD, PhD, FERS
Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Kiel and Director of the Department of Pneumology, LungenClinic Grosshansdorf
“My research encompasses several fields of respiratory medicine, including asthma, COPD and lung cancer, with the aim to investigate the mechanisms of airway inflammation, early determinants of lung health and the pathophysiological links between respiratory and cardiovascular disease.”
Scientific and resource library
Visit the Scientific and Resource Library to access educational toolkits and download useful supporting resources on epithelial science and its implications for patient management and care.
Listen to Professor Arnaud Bourdin discuss the clinical significance and pathogenesis of mucus plugging in severe asthma
Discover more about the inflammatory pathways that contribute to upper and lower airway diseases.
Asthma triggers and burden of disease
An infographic highlighting the prevalence of various asthma triggers and their impact on disease burden among patients with severe asthma.
Download this slide to learn more about the inflammatory pathways in COPD.
Discover the critical role of the nasal epithelium in CRSwNP.
Download this slide deck to learn more about the role of the epithelium in different phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis.
The role of mucus plugging in severe asthma
Epithelial cytokines promote the release and production of downstream cytokines implicated in airway inflammation. Download this infographic to explore the role of these downstream cytokines in mucus plugging.
Listen to Professor Christopher Brightling and Professor Bruce Levy discuss the role of airway hyperresponsiveness and its importance in clinical practice.
Download this slide deck, developed in collaboration with Professor Lena Uller, to access an overview of the inflammatory pathways and cellular mechanisms that underpin severe asthma pathogenesis.