Approved research

The Genetics and Epidemiology of Fibrosis

Lay summary

Fibrosis is a pathological response of the body to a wide variety of insults. It is characterised by scarring in the wrong place. This is a common end point for many diseases, including conditions such as heart disease, dementia and liver cirrhosis. Taken as a whole, it is estimated that fibrosis contributes to up to 45% of deaths worldwide. We wish to study the genetic and non-genetic factors that predispose to fibrosis. In particular, we are interested in any factors that predispose to multiple different types of fibrosis, to identify underlying mechanisms that might lead to new treatments. This research is wholly focussed on improving the health of the nation, and is clearly in the public interest. We will analyse genetic and non-genetic data from participants who suffer from a variety of conditions that are characterised by fibrosis, including Dupuytren's Disease, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Frozen Shoulder, Pulmonary and Hepatic Fibrosis, and Systemic Sclerosis / Scleroderma. By analysing the data both separately and together, we hope to discover common factors that predispose to fibrosis in general that are not detectable by analysing the groups individually. We intend to analyse the full cohort.