BREATHE-OK: A Transformative Lung Health Biobank for a Wildfire-Impacted Future

CONTENT

Wildfire smoke has emerged as a significant environmental threat to respiratory health in Canada.
Therefore, "The Biobank for Respiratory Health in the Okanagan (BREATHE-OK )" is the first region-specific lung biobank in Interior British Columbia & Okanagan, created to assess and study how wildfire smoke and environmental exposures influence lung disease, recovery, and resilience

BREATHE-OK is the only biobank in the Okanagan region registered with the Canada Tissue Registry Network (CTRN).

It is a collaboration between UBC-Okanagan & Interior Health.

WHAT IS BREATHE-OK?

BREATHE-OK is a comprehensive lung health biobank that collects and securely stores human biological samples — including airway cells, blood, and lung tissue — alongside detailed clinical and environmental information.

This integrated platform will enable:

Mechanistic studies of lung injury and repair
Identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets
Understanding of individual susceptibility and resilience
Translation of findings into clinical and public health practice

By generating high-quality longitudinal datasets from a wildfire-affected region, BREATHE-OK will support discovery with national and global relevance.

THE CHALLENGE

The Okanagan and Interior of British Columbia experience increasingly severe wildfire seasons, exposing communities to prolonged periods of hazardous smoke.

Fine particulate matter and toxic gases generated by wildfires penetrate deep into the lungs, triggering inflammation and worsening respiratory disease.

Despite growing concern, major scientific gaps remain:

How does wildfire smoke alter lung biology at the cellular and molecular level?
Why do individuals vary widely in susceptibility and recovery?
How do environmental exposures interact with existing respiratory disease?

Addressing these questions requires coordinated, longitudinal, human-centered research infrastructure — a need BREATHE-OK is designed to meet.

WHO WILL PARTICIPATE

BREATHE-OK is designed to reflect real communities and real exposures.

Clinical Ethics applications and provisos are underway to enable donors recruitment that will include consenting individuals, patients and frontline workers in the Okanagan

Equity and Inclusion

Through partnerships with regional collaborators, the biobank will prioritize the participation of underrepresented communities in research who are disproportionately affected by climate-related health risks.

All collection and use of samples will operate under rigorous ethical governance and in close partnership with community and clinical stakeholders.

INNOVATION: BEYOND TRADITIONAL BIOBANKING

From Patient Samples to Living Lung Models

BREATHE-OK will extend beyond sample storage by generating advanced experimental systems derived from donor samples.

Using patient-derived cells, the platform will create:

3D lung organoids (“mini-lungs”)
Multicellular lung models
Genomic and molecular profiles linked to clinical outcomes

These tools will allow researchers to directly examine gene–environment interactions, identify disease pathways, and test potential therapeutic strategies in human-relevant systems.

Integration of clinical data, biospecimens, and advanced modelling will position BREATHE-OK at the forefront of precision respiratory medicine.

CLINICAL & HEALTH SYSTEM IMPACT

Improving Care While Advancing Discovery

BREATHE-OK will also function as a longitudinal clinical registry, enabling research and healthcare teams to track patient outcomes over time.

This infrastructure will support:

Monitoring of disease progression and recovery
Identification of exposure-related complications
Continuous quality improvement in clinical practice
Evidence-based decision-making across healthcare systems

By linking research with real-world care, BREATHE-OK will strengthen the connection between scientific discovery and patient benefit.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

A Strategic Investment in Lung Health and Climate Resilience

As wildfire frequency & intensity increase, so too will their impact on respiratory health.
BREATHE-OK establishes the scientific and clinical infrastructure needed to respond to this growing challenge.

The initiative will:

Generate region-specific, globally relevant data
Enable precision approaches to lung disease prevention and treatment
Inform public health and policy decisions
Strengthen Canada’s leadership in environmental and respiratory health research
Support training of the next generation of scientists and clinicians

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CALL TO ACTION & COLLABORATION

BREATHE-OK is designed as a collaborative platform for researchers, clinicians, community partners, and funders committed to advancing respiratory health in a changing climate.

Through strategic partnerships and sustained investment, this initiative will build a lasting resource that accelerates discovery, improves care, and protects communities across British Columbia and beyond.