Respiratory researchers are set to investigate a surprising driver of poor lung health: the body’s
metabolism.

University of Newcastle Professor Jay Horvat, of HMRI’s Immune Health Research Program, has been
awarded a $1.5m Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant, through the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC), to explore one of the nation’s most persistent health issues.

Australians living with both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face some of the
toughest breathing challenges and often have limited treatment options.

This group of people experiences more frequent flare-ups that require hospitalisation, poorer quality of
life, and higher healthcare needs — yet research has historically focused on asthma or COPD in
isolation, leaving a major gap in understanding and care.

Professor Horvat will lead a team of experts in metabolism and lung disease to explore how the body’s
metabolic processes influence inflammation and lung function in people who live with both asthma and
COPD.

Emerging evidence shows that factors such as excess abdominal fat, higher blood sugar, and unhealthy
cholesterol levels can worsen inflammation in the lungs and make breathing more difficult.
Professor Horvat said targeting metabolic factors, such as sugars or fats, that fuel immune cell
inflammation, may help treat disease.

“By mapping out these connections in detail, we hope to pinpoint which metabolic changes matter most
and which interventions — such as diet, lifestyle changes or targeted therapies — could offer real relief,”
Professor Horvat said.

“This project is about finding new ways to help a group of patients who currently have very few effective
treatment options.

“If we can understand how metabolic health drives lung inflammation, we can develop better strategies
to manage symptoms and improve daily life.”

The study’s findings could pave the way for new treatments that reduce inflammation, improve breathing,
and ultimately ease the burden of chronic respiratory disease for thousands of Australians.

The project title is ‘Optimising Pulmonary Therapies using ImmunoMetabolic Analyses of Lung disease:
The OPTIMAL Study’. Among the team of experts are University of Newcastle’s Drs Hayley Scott and
Bronwyn Berthon and Professor Lisa Wood, of the HMRI Immune Health Research Program and
Professor Murray Cairns, of the HMRI Precision Medicine and Health Research Program.

^{HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.}