En Bloc Society:

Bangladesh Lung Foundation (BLF)

Team members:

Principal Investigator:

Dr Md. Ali Hossain (Bangladesh)

Co-Investigators:

Dr Ayesha Siddiqua (Bangladesh)
Dr Asif Mujtaba Mahmud (Bangladesh)
Dr Kazi Saifuddin Bennoor (Bangladesh)
Dr Mohammad Abdus Shakur Khan (Bangladesh)
Dr Muhammad Murtaza Khair (Bangladesh)

Project term:

1 August 2025 – 1 August 2026

Project summary:

This project aims to conduct a comprehensive genetic study of 30 patients diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), specifically Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive lung disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Advances in genetic research, such as genome-wide association studies and whole-genome sequencing, have expanded our understanding of IPF’s genetic complexity. Utilizing Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) from blood samples, the study will explore widely recognized and well-studied genes that have shown potential roles in IPF pathogenesis. This study aims at individuals>18 years old with a confirmed diagnosis of IPF. This genetic analysis will not only provide insights into the genetic patterns specific to the Bangladeshi population but also contribute novel data to the growing body of knowledge regarding IPF in the Asia-Pacific region. It will lay the foundation for a broader, more extensive genetic study that could have significant clinical implications for the future management and treatment of IPF in this region.

In the context of a pilot study, WES is a more viable approach, as it allows researchers to focus on the most relevant parts of the genome without the high expense and data complexity of WGS. Many of the known genetic variants associated with IPF are located within the coding regions of genes. WES provides sufficient depth and resolution to capture these variants accurately, which may not be as effectively identified through other NGS methods that focus on non-coding regions. This makes it easier to focus on the most relevant variants associated with IPF, facilitating faster insights for clinical and research applications.

By identifying genetic variants that are significant to this population, the study has the potential to improve the understanding of disease progression, guide treatment protocols, and define clinical outcomes, prognoses, and disease courses in IPF. Hopefully, it will guide to make genetic study of IPF more easily accessible for a larger number of the population in the near future allowing for more personalized and targeted therapeutic interventions. Moreover, it will offer a framework for genetic counseling for ILD patients, enabling them to make informed decisions about their health and future care.