Sherlock study led by University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is one of the work packages within the Dutch Precision Medicine for more Oxygen program #P402.
This initiative aims to define CT-based structural COPD phenotypes and map them directly to their underlying inflammatory and molecular mechanisms, focusing on earlier identification of high-risk individuals who start to show structural lung abnormalities but do not yet exhibit airflow obstruction.
Thirona was invited to provide critical imaging insights to complement multi-omics data, enabling a comprehensive characterization of the disease.
Within this project, Thirona conducted AI-powered quantitative CT analysis of the lung parenchyma, airways, bronchus-artery pairs, and pulmonary vasculature, from the global-lung level down to individual lobes.
Key measurements included:
Through comprehensive assessment of bronchial abnormalities, mucus plugging, ventilation patterns, and pulmonary vasculature, 47 individuals in the non-COPD group were identified as exhibiting structural features associated with an increased risk of developing COPD.
