The RespirERA Institute is taking part in the national PADDEL project, a collaborative initiative designed to better understand the links between exposure to certain emerging pollutants and the development of bronchial cancers. The project will draw on large patient cohorts and environmental data collected across France.
Investigating Pollutants That Remain Insufficiently Documented
The effects of air pollution on respiratory health are now widely studied. However, the impact of certain so-called “emerging” pollutants on lung cancer remains difficult to assess.
The PADDEL project will focus in particular on pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, and endocrine disruptors (substances that may interfere with the body’s hormonal system).
The aim is to analyse possible links between exposure to these substances and bronchial cancers, in order to better understand the role that the environment may play in the development of the disease.
Combining Health and Environmental Data
To conduct this research, the project partners will combine information from large patient cohorts (groups of people monitored as part of a study) with data relating to their environment.
This approach will make it possible to study more precisely the types of exposure patients may have experienced and to identify potential associations with the development of lung cancer.
By bringing together medical and environmental data, PADDEL will therefore help improve knowledge of risk factors that are still poorly documented.
A Nationwide Scientific Collaboration
Led by Toulouse University Hospital with the COALA network, the PADDEL project brings together several major healthcare and research organisations: Institut Curie, the RespirERA Institute, AP-HP – Cochin Hospital, Lille University Hospital and the French College of Pulmonologists from General Hospitals.
Its nationwide coverage is made possible in particular by the involvement of the COALA-lung network teams and Atmo Occitanie. This organisation will enable data to be collected from different parts of France and will take into account the diversity of the environments and populations studied.
Better understanding to improve prevention
By contributing to the PADDEL project, the RespirERA Institute is supporting collaborative research aimed at better characterising the effects of the environment on respiratory health.
In the longer term, the knowledge generated could help better identify environmental factors associated with lung cancer and strengthen prevention strategies.
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