Chair: Dr Markus Fally (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Speakers: Prof. Najib M. Rahman (Oxford, United Kingdom)

Discussants: Ms Amy Gilmour (Dundee, United Kingdom), Dr Federico Mei (Ancona (AN), Italy)

Fees: Free for ERS members / €10 for non-members
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Overview

Pleural infection remains a major cause of respiratory morbidity, associated with prolonged hospital stays and high mortality. Despite advances in antimicrobial therapy and intrapleural treatments, outcomes remain variable. Current approaches rely on empirical therapy and radiological response rather than biological understanding of the disease.

Why this matters now:

• The biological mechanisms underlying pleural infection heterogeneity are poorly characterised.
• Proteomic studies, such as TORPIDS-2, offer a new window into host response, inflammation, and metabolic pathways.
• A clearer understanding of molecular endotypes may enable clinicians to predict prognosis, personalise management, and design targeted interventions.

This webinar will bridge the gap between emerging proteomic science and clinical practice, highlighting how molecular endotyping could shape the future of pleural infection management.

Article

The webinar will focus on bridging this educational gap by featuring one impactful study:

Article: Pleural fluid proteomics from patients with pleural infection shows signatures of diverse neutrophilic responses: The Oxford Pleural Infection Endotyping Study (TORPIDS-2)
Author & Speaker: Professor Najib M. Rahman, University of Oxford, UK
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2025)
Summary: This landmark translational study applies advanced proteomic profiling to pleural fluid samples from patients with pleural infection. The analysis reveals distinct neutrophilic and metabolic signatures that define biologically diverse endotypes of disease. These findings provide novel insights into the immunopathology of pleural infection, offering potential avenues for personalised therapy and improved clinical outcomes.
Read article

Why attend?

Participants will:

• Gain a state-of-the-art understanding of the molecular diversity within pleural infection.
• Learn how proteomic data reveal distinct immune and metabolic responses.
• Explore how these findings could influence clinical decision-making and future research.
• Engage in an interactive discussion where discussants will actively question the speaker and challenge key concepts.
• Experience a lively and moderated session led by Chair Markus Fally, ensuring dynamic dialogue and audience participation.

Educational aims

The aims of this webinar are to:

1. Summarise key findings from the TORPIDS-2 study and their implications for pleural infection treatment.
2. Examine methodological strengths and challenges of proteomic analyses in clinical cohorts.
3. Discuss how molecular endotypes could inform diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.
4. Stimulate multidisciplinary debate and identify priorities for future translational research.

Topics:

1. Biological and clinical challenges in pleural infection
2. Pleural fluid proteomics: methodology and interpretation
3. Immune and metabolic endotypes: neutrophil activation, glycolysis, and oxidative pathways
4. Links between proteomic signatures, microbiology, and clinical outcomes
5. Translational potential for prognostic and therapeutic stratification
6. Study limitations and future directions

Target audience:

• Respiratory physicians, thoracic specialists, and pulmonologists managing pleural infections
• Infectious disease clinicians and microbiologists
• Translational researchers and bioinformaticians in proteomics and respiratory disease
• Trainees and early-career professionals in respiratory medicine

Programme / Format (60 minutes total)

The duration of the webinar is one hour, structured as follows:

1. Opening and welcome (3 min)
• Chair Markus Fally introduces the session, speaker, and discussants, setting the clinical and scientific context.
2. Speaker presentation (19 min)
• Professor Najib M. Rahman presents the rationale, methodology, key findings, and implications of the TORPIDS-2 study.
3. Discussant perspectives (2 × 10 min = 20 min)
• Discussant 1: Amy Gilmour (PhD Researcher, University of Dundee, UK) - critical appraisal of study design, proteomic methods, and interpretation.
• Discussant 2: Federico Mei (Associate Professor, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy - invited) - discussion of clinical translation, potential biomarker applications, and future research opportunities.
• The discussants will actively pose questions to the speaker, stimulating an in-depth and interactive exchange.
4. Audience Q&A and open discussion (15 min)
• Moderated by the Chair, encouraging live questions from attendees and dialogue among all panel members.
5. Closing remarks and take-home messages (3 min)
• Chair Markus Fally summarises key learning points, future perspectives, and clinical implications.

Learning outcomes

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe proteomic endotypes in pleural infection and their clinical relevance.
• Recognise how molecular profiling enhances understanding of host-pathogen interactions.
• Critically appraise biomarker-based translational studies.
• Consider how endotype-driven approaches could refine pleural infection management.
• Identify opportunities for collaborative and multidisciplinary research in this emerging field.

CME credit

An application for accreditation of this webinar has been made to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for 1 CME credit per 1-hour attendance. If accredited, the CME credit will be granted upon attendance of at least 60 minutes during the live webinar only.

What is a webinar?

A webinar closely simulates a lecture-based teaching experience. The speaker can interact with the audience, just as in a classroom setting. During the webinar, you will be asked to share your opinion on issues related to the topic using interactive polls.

All participants will be able to hear the lecturer and see the slides throughout the presentation. As a participant you will be able to pose questions or discuss ideas with the other participants via the text chat facility and the speaker will respond to the questions via the microphone.

Login guidelines

More information will be communicated in due course.

• Please log in to the webinar 20 minutes before it is scheduled to commence. If you have any technical difficulties whilst trying to log in or during the session please contact e-learning@ersnet.org.
• Check Central European Time.
• To achieve the best quality, we recommend to avoid downloading anything from the internet during your connection to the lecture and stopping all other programmes.
• Please also ensure that your audio settings are not set to mute and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.