Canadian Consortium on Airway Mucus Occlusions in Asthma, COPD and Chronic Cough

Chronic lung diseases affect one in five Canadians, causing symptoms such as cough, breathlessness, and wheeze. Despite advancements in medical care, these conditions not only impact individuals and their close circles but also present substantial clinical and economic challenges at a national level. This grant is dedicated to addressing three prevalent lung diseases: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic cough. An alliance of clinicians, scientists, knowledge users, and patient partners from across Canada have come together to establish the Canadian Consortium for Understanding the Role of Airway Mucus Occlusions in Asthma, COPD, and Chronic Cough - "CANMuc." Mucus plays a pivotal role in the symptoms and severity of lung diseases, but its clinical assessment has been challenging. Fortunately, recent medical advances, particularly chest computed tomography (CT), facilitate visualizing and quantifying mucus in patients with lung diseases. Our goal is to initially assess mucus plugging in a diverse group of Canadians without lung disease and then compare these findings to those with asthma, COPD, and chronic cough. The investigators will recruit 100 healthy volunteers for comprehensive clinical and research evaluations, including sputum analyses, breathing tests, quality of life assessments, cough monitoring, and CT scans. In addition, testing will be conducted twice, two years apart, in 240 adult and 50 pediatric participants. This approach will enable the investigators to understand the burden of mucus and how it changes over time, explore proteins or chemicals in mucus that predict mucus persistence, and identify biomarkers that can help guide physicians to prescribe targeted treatments that might work better than others. The CANMuc team's findings will guide strategies for identifying and treating mucus plugging, inform policymakers, and share knowledge with Canadians living with asthma, COPD, and chronic cough.

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Key information

Conditions

Asthma Bronchial Diseases Chronic Cough Chronic Cough (CC) Chronic Disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Cough Disease Attributes Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity, Immediate Immune System Diseases Lung Diseases Lung Diseases, Obstructive Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive Respiration Disorders Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Males and females (≥18 years old)

Asthma: Respiratory physician confirmed diagnosis of moderate-to-severe asthma and Historical objective evidence of asthma and/or specialist/respirologist confirmation (post-bronchodilator reversibility and/or methacholine bronchoprovocation test <8 mg/mL)

COPD: Respiratory physician confirmed diagnosis of COPD that is moderate-to-severe according to GOLD criteria (post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC<LLN and FEV1< 80%pred) and CAT score ≥10 or mMRC score ≥ 2

Chronic cough: Refractory Chronic Cough (RCC) and Unexplained Chronic Cough (UCC) lasting >1 year with Normal chest radiograph and no airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC >Lower Limit of Normal)

Healthy participants: No history of respiratory disease or other pulmonary disorders and no use of inhaled medications or corticosteroids with normal spirometry and Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale =<1

Exclusion criteria

Pregnant or breastfeeding
Current smoker or >10 yr pack history or smoked within the last 6 months
Exacerbation within 4 weeks of recruitment
Preterm birth (≤36 weeks gestation) or perinatal complications
History of other pulmonary disorders
Specialist/Respirologist suspects primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD)
Current use of mucolytic medications
Memory, cognitive, or psychiatric limitations that may prevent optimal participation
Treatment with current biologic therapy: anti-IgE mAb within 130 days, anti-IL-4/4R, IL-5/5R, IL-13, or TSLP within 2 months or 5 half-lives whichever is longer prior to visit 1

Treatment and study plan

Observational

Other

This is a 24-month observational study in adults in three disease domains, consisting of screening visit, baseline visit, quarterly telemonitoring visit and end of monitoring period

Primary outcomes

Computed Tomography mucus score

Time frame: Baseline/Day 0 and End of Assessment/48 months

Quantify CT mucus score and evaluate its cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship with sputum rheology and inflammatory phenotype in a healthy cohort compared to disease groups at baseline and follow-up

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

McMaster University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Canadian Consortium for Understanding the Role of Airway Mucus Occlusions in Asthma, COPD and Chronic Cough

Acronym: CANMuc

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Mar 5, 2025
Registry last updated: Jan 7, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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