Projects & Publications

Active Projects

Led by A/Prof Sanjay Chotirmall, the TARIPH NMRC LCG is a prestigious and highly competitive SGD$10 million research grant. Funded by Ministry of Health, the project aims to better understand chronic respiratory disease and critical care from an Asian perspective, from prevention and early detection to treatment and management, particularly focusing on the unique needs of our multi-ethnic Singaporean population. Respiratory clinicians, scientists, clinician-scientists and patients from across Singapore will work collaboratively with a number of international partners through five interlinked themes to address these aims and linked by the overarching concept of "prevention".

Singapore Severe Asthma Registry (SSAR) was established to record data on severe asthma patients  based on the established International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) standard core variables . Data is collected and consolidated from four hospitals across Singapore - Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Changi General Hospital and National University Hospital. Patients are re-reviewed annually as part of their clinical care with their data recorded. These  data in de-identified form  is consolidated by the TARIPH Centre for Respiratory Research Excellence and shared with ISAR for international benchmarking and academic research.

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Chronic respiratory disease registries

TARIPH is looking into setting up of chronic respiratory disease registries and would like to invite interested collaborators to contact us for further discussion.

Past Projects

Singapore’s asthma mortality and hospitalisation rates are several times higher than OECD countries (Ebmeier 2017, MOH 2017). Spot Blood eosinophil count (BEC) during an acute exacerbation of asthma was a predictor of more severe respiratory failure and was associated with future acute health care utilization (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9, p=0.02) in a previous study conducted across 4 ICUs in Singapore (Yii, 2019). Fasenra® or Benralizumab, an anti-IL5 receptor α monoclonal antibody causes rapid depletion of blood eosinophils and reduces asthma exacerbations when given over 12-month duration in patient with Severe Eosinophilic Asthma (FitzGerald, 2018). However, the efficacy of Benralizumab when given during an acute exacerbation of asthma in reducing future exacerbations or severity of asthma exacerbation is relatively unexplored. This study aims to look at whether subcutaneous administration of Benralizumab when initiated during an acute severe asthma exacerbation and then continued over 48 weeks period can increase time to first exacerbation compared to placebo as well as other key secondary outcome such as hospital readmission and health care utilization.

Please email us at [email protected] ​ if you would like to know more about any of these projects or contribute as a member and collaborator to our work.

Publications

Tiew, P. Y., Narayana, J. K., Quek, M. S. L., Ang, Y. Y., Ko, F. W. S., Poh, M. E., Jaggi, T. K., Xu, H., Thng, K. X., Koh, M. S., Tee, A., Hui, D. S. C., Abisheganaden, J. A., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., Chew, F. T., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2023). Sensitisation to recombinant Aspergillus fumigatus allergens and clinical outcomes in COPD. The European respiratory journal, 61(1), 2200507. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00507-2022 

Tiew, P. Y., Meldrum, O. W., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2023). Applying Next-Generation Sequencing and Multi-Omics in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(3), 2955. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032955

Gramegna, A., Narayana, J. K., Amati, F., Stainer, A., Wu, B., Morlacchi, L. C., Segal, L. N., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., Marchisio, P., Chotirmall, S. H., Blasi, F., & Aliberti, S. (2023). Microbial Inflammatory Networks in Bronchiectasis Exacerbators With Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chest, S0012-3692(23)00259-3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2023.02.014

Martinez, F. J., Bush, A., Brochard, L., Han, M. K., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2023). Introducing "Viewpoint: Turning the Air Blue". American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 207(7), 803. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202302-0241ED

Chotirmall, S. H., Dhar, R., McShane, P. J., & Chang, A. B. (2023). Bronchiectasis: a global disease necessitating global solutions. The Lancet. Respiratory medicine, 11(7), 581–583. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00136-4 

Chotirmall, S. H., Abisheganaden, J. A., Chew, F. T., See, K. C., Cove, M. E., Goh, A. E. N., Koh, M. S., Loh, C. H., Phua, J., & Lim, A. Y. H. (2023). Letter from Singapore: Thirty years of progress in clinical care and research. Respirology (Carlton, Vic.), 28(10), 966–968. https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.14584

Mac Aogáin, M., Narayana, J. K., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2023). Reply to Ward et al. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 208(5), 631–632. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202305-0872LE

Tiew, P. Y., Thng, K. X., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2022). Clinical Aspergillus Signatures in COPD and Bronchiectasis. Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 480. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8050480

Tiew, P. Y., Narayana, J. K., Li Quek, M. S., Ang, Y. Y., San Ko, F. W., Poh, M. E., Jaggi, T. K., Xu, H., Thng, K. X., Koh, M. S., Tee, A., Cheong Hui, D. S., Abisheganaden, J. A., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., Chew, F. T., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2022). Sensitisation to recombinant Aspergillus fumigatus allergens and clinical outcomes in COPD. The European respiratory journal, 2200507. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00507-2022 

Li, L., Mac Aogáin, M., Xu, T., Jaggi, T. K., Chan, L. L. Y., Qu, J., Wei, L., Liao, S., Cheng, H. S., Keir, H. R., Dicker, A. J., Tan, K. S., De Yun, W., Koh, M. S., Ong, T. H., Lim, A. Y. H., Abisheganaden, J. A., Low, T. B., Hassan, T. M., Long, X., … Chotirmall, S. H. (2022). Neisseria species as pathobionts in bronchiectasis. Cell host & microbe, 30(9), 1311–1327.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2022.08.005

Narayana, J. K., Aliberti, S., Mac Aogáin, M., Jaggi, T. K., Binte Mohamed Ali, N. A., Xaverius Ivan, F., Cheng, H. S., Yip, Y. S., Gerard Vos, M. I., Low, Z. S., Lee, J. X. T., Amati, F., Gramegna, A., Wong, S. H., Sung, J. J. Y., Tan, N. S., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., Blasi, F., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2022). Microbial Dysregulation of the Gut-Lung Axis in Bronchiectasis. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 10.1164/rccm.202205-0893OC. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202205-0893OC

Chan, L. L. Y., Anderson, D. E., Cheng, H. S., Ivan, F. X., Chen, S., Kang, A. E. Z., Foo, R., Gamage, A. M., Tiew, P. Y., Koh, M. S., Lee, K. C. H., Nichol, K., Pathinayake, P. S., Chan, Y. L., Yeo, T. W., Oliver, B. G., Wark, P. A. B., Liu, L., Tan, N. S., Wang, L. F., … Chotirmall, S. H. (2022). The establishment of COPD organoids to study host-pathogen interaction reveals enhanced viral fitness of SARS-CoV-2 in bronchi. Nature communications, 13(1), 7635. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35253-x

 

 

 

 

Tiew, P. Y., Lim, A. Y. H., Keir, H. R., Dicker, A. J., Mac Aogáin, M., Pang, S. L., Low, T. B., Hassan, T. M., Poh, M. E., Xu, H., Ong, T. H., Koh, M. S., Abisheganaden, J. A., Tee, A., Chew, F. T., Chalmers, J. D., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2021). High Frequency of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis in Bronchiectasis-COPD Overlap. Chest, 161(1), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2021.07.2165

Tiew, P. Y., Mac Aogáin, M., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2021). The current understanding and future directions for sputum microbiome profiling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine, 28(2), 121–133. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCP.0000000000000850

Tiew, P. Y., Mac Aogáin, M., Ter, S. K., Aliberti, S., Chalmers, J. D., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2021). Respiratory Mycoses in COPD and Bronchiectasis. Mycopathologia, 186(5), 623–638. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-021-00539-z

Narayana, J. K., Mac Aogáin, M., Goh, W. W. B., Xia, K., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2021). Mathematical-based microbiome analytics for clinical translation. Computational and structural biotechnology journal, 19, 6272–6281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.029

 

Tiew, P. Y., Dicker, A. J., Keir, H. R., Poh, M. E., Pang, S. L., Mac Aogáin, M., Chua Qi Yu, B., Tan, J. L., Xu, H., Koh, M. S., Tee, A., Abisheganaden, J. A., Chew, F. T., Miller, B. E., Tal-Singer, R., Chalmers, J. D., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2020). A high-risk airway mycobiome is associated with frequent exacerbation and mortality in COPD. The European respiratory journal, 2002050. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02050-2020

Poh, T. Y., Ali, N., Chan, L., Tiew, P. Y., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2020). Evaluation of Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) for the Absolute Quantification of Aspergillus species in the Human Airway. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(9), 3043. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21093043

Tiew, P. Y., Mac Aogain, M., Ali, N. A. t. B. M., Thng, K. X., Goh, K., Lau, K. J., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2020). The Mycobiome in Health and Disease: Emerging Concepts, Methodologies and Challenges. Mycopathologia, 1-25. doi: 10.1007/s11046-019-00413-z

Tiew, P. Y., San Ko, F. W., Narayana, J. K., Poh, M. E., Xu, H., Neo, H. Y., Loh, L. C., Ong, C. K., Aogáin, M. M., Ying Tan, J. H., Kamaruddin, N. H., Hui Sim, G. J., Lapperre, T. S., Koh, M. S., Cheong Hui, D. S., Abisheganaden, J. A., Tee, A., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2020). 'High Risk' Clinical and Inflammatory Clusters in COPD of Chinese Descent. Chest, S0012-3692(20)30326-3. Advance online publication. ​doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.01.043 

Tiew, P. Y., Ko, F. W. S., Pang, S. L., Matta, S. A., Sio, Y. Y., Poh, M. E., Lau, K. J. X., Mac Aogáin M., Jaggi T.K., Ivan F.X., Gaultier N.E., Chotirmall, S. H. (2020). Environmental fungal sensitisation associates with poorer clinical outcomes in COPD. European Respiratory Journal, 2000418. doi:10.1183/13993003.00418-2020


Woo, L., Smith, H. E., & Sullivan, S. D. (2019). The Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Systematic Review. Value in health regional issues, 18, 121-131. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vhri.2019.02.002

Molton, J. S., Thomas, B. A., Pang, Y., Khor, L. K., Hallinan, J., Naftalin, C. M., Totman, J. J., Townsend, D. W., Lim, T. K., Chee, C., Wang, Y. T., & Paton, N. I. (2019). Sub-clinical abnormalities detected by PET/MRI in household tuberculosis contacts. BMC infectious diseases, 19(1), 83. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-3705-0

Budden, K. F., Shukla, S. D., Rehman, S. F., Bowerman, K. L., Keely, S., Hugenholtz, P., Armstrong-James, D.P., Adcock, I.M., Chotirmall, S.H., Chung, K.F., Hansbro, P. M. (2019). Functional effects of the microbiota in chronic respiratory disease. Lancet Respir Med, 7(10), 907-920. doi:10.1016/s2213-2600(18)30510-1


 

Poh, T. Y., Ali, N. A. t. B. M., Mac Aogáin, M., Kathawala, M. H., Setyawati, M. I., Ng, K. W., & Chotirmall, S. H. (2018). Inhaled nanomaterials and the respiratory microbiome: clinical, immunological and toxicological perspectives. Particle and Fibre Toxicology, 15(1), 46. doi:10.1186/s12989-018-0282-0

Eguiluz‐Gracia, I., Tay, T. R., Hew, M., Escribese, M. M., Barber, D., O'hehir, R. E., & Torres, M. J. (2018). Recent developments and highlights in biomarkers in allergic diseases and asthma. Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 73(12), 2290-2305. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/all.13628  

Mac Aogáin, M., Tiew, P. Y., Lim, A. Y. H., Low, T. B., Tan, G. L., Hassan, T., . . . Gwee, X. W. (2018). Distinct'Immuno-Allertypes' of Disease and High Frequencies of Sensitisation in Non-Cystic-Fibrosis Bronchiectasis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine(ja). doi: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201807-1355OC

McDonald, V. M., Hiles, S. A., Godbout, K., Harvey, E. S., Marks, G. B., Hew, M., Peters, M., Bardin, P. G., Reynolds, P. N., Upham, J. W., Baraket, M., Bhikoo, Z., Bowden, J., Brockway, B., Chung, L. P., Cochrane, B., Foxley, G., Garrett, J., Jayaram, L., Katelaris, C. J. C., Katsoulotos, G., Koh, M. S., et al. (2018). Treatable traits can be identified in a severe asthma registry and predict future exacerbations. Respirology.​ doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.13389

Yii, A. C., Soh, A. Z., Chee, C. B., Wang, Y. T., Yuan, J.-M., & Koh, W.-P. (2018).  Asthma, Sinonasal Disease, and the Risk of Active Tuberculosis. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2018.07.036

Ong, A. S. Q., Tan, A. H., Anantham, D., Sharma, K., Tan, S., Lapperre, T. S., . . . Koh, M. S. (2018). Impact of simulation training on performance and outcomes of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration performed by trainees in a tertiary academic hospital. Journal of thoracic disease, 10(9), 5621. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2018.08.76

Mac Aogáin, M., Chandrasekaran, R., Lim, A. Y. H., Low, T. B., Tan, G. L., Hassan, T., . Chotirmall, S. H. (2018). Immunological corollary of the pulmonary mycobiome in bronchiectasis: the CAMEB study. European Respiratory Journal, 52(1), 1800766. doi:10.1183/13993003.00766-2018

Tay, T. R., Lee, J. W., & Hew, M. (2018). Diagnosis of severe asthma. Med J Aust, 209(2 Suppl), S3-S10. doi: https://doi.org/10.5694/mja18.00125

Tran, T.-T., Vidaillac, C., Yu, H., Yong, V. F., Roizman, D., Chandrasekaran, R., . . . Abisheganaden, J. A. (2018). A new therapeutic avenue for bronchiectasis: dry powder inhaler of ciprofloxacin nanoplex exhibits superior ex vivo mucus permeability and antibacterial efficacy to its native ciprofloxacin counterpart. International journal of pharmaceutics, 547(1-2), 368-376. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.06.017

Lee, J. W., Tay, T. R., Paddle, P., Richards, A. L., Pointon, L., Voortman, M., . . . Hew, M. (2018). Diagnosis of concomitant inducible laryngeal obstruction and asthma​​​. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 48(12), 1622-1630. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13185

Yii, A. C. A., Tay, T.-R., Choo, X. N., Koh, M. S. Y., Tee, A. K. H., & Wang, D.-Y. (2018). Precision medicine in united airways disease: A “treatable traits” approach. Allergy, 73(10), 1964-1978. 10.1111/all.13496. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/all.13496

Chotirmall, S. H., Dahlén, S.-E., Carlsten, C., Wong, W. S. F., Chung, K. F., Gosens, R., & Knight, D. A. (2018). International research collaboration: The way forward. Respirology, 23(7), 654-655. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.13327

Hiles, S. A., Harvey, E. S., McDonald, V. M., Peters, M., Bardin, P., Reynolds, P. N., Upham, J. W.,  Baraket M., Bhikoo Z., Bowden J., Brockway v, Chung, L. P., Cochrane B., Foxley G., Garrett J., Hew M., Jayaram L., Jenkins C., Katelaris C., Katsoulotos G., Koh, M. S., et al.  (2018). Working while unwell: Workplace impairment in people with severe asthma. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 48(6), 650-662. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13153

Lee, J., Ren Tay, T., Radhakrishna, N., Hore-Lacy, F., Mackay, A., Hoy, R., . . . Hew, M. (2018). Non-adherence in the era of severe asthma biologics and thermoplasty. European Respiratory Journal, 1701836. doi: https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01836-2017

Tay, C. K., Chua, Y. C., Takano, A., Chee, M. Y. M., Lim, W.-T., Lim, C., & Koh, M. S. (2018). Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma in Singapore. Annals of thoracic medicine, 13(1), 30.​ doi: ​https://doi.org/10.4103/atm.atm_304_17

Chotirmall, S. H., & Koh, M. S. (2018). Letter from Singapore. Respirology, 23(2), 228-229. doi: https://doi.​org/10.1111/resp.13210

Please contact the TARIPH Secretariat​ if you have any TARIPH-related publications you would like to feature here. Publications listed here should demonstrate collaboration across Singapore or internationally.