From 5 to 9 September, the ERS Congress — one of the leading international events dedicated to respiratory medicine — took place in Barcelona. The event was also a significant milestone for Mistral, as the company played a pivotal role in two research studies presented by Drs Fabrizia La Torre and Maria Maglione. These studies focused on the application of breath analysis in respiratory disease research.
Both studies were led by Principal Investigator Prof. Donato Lacedonia, a Pulmonology and Respiratory Diseases specialist, and involved the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Foggia and the Institute of Respiratory Diseases at the Foggia Polyclinic. The research and development teams collected breath samples from a large group of patients to explore the potential of analysing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath for diagnosing asthma and detecting lung cancer.
Specifically, the lung cancer study involved collecting breath samples from 191 subjects using the Mistral Sampler and combining them with advanced statistical analysis and machine learning techniques. The results demonstrated that breath analysis could be used to diagnose lung cancer, confirming the potential of this technology as a non-invasive tool to complement current screening protocols.
The asthma study also highlights the potential of breathomics as a non-invasive approach, while emphasising the importance of conducting further studies and seeking validation in larger populations.
At Mistral, we are proud to have contributed to this journey alongside the two research teams, and this achievement motivates us to continue investing in research.
