Salty air: a new way to help lungs sweep themselves clean?
NCT ID NCT07722377
First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether breathing in a continuous fine mist of isotonic (0.9%) saline, combined with heated, humidified air, can improve the lungs' natural mucus-clearing mechanism. Ten healthy adults will have their mucus clearance measured by a special scan under three conditions: no treatment, heated humidification alone, and heated humidification plus saline mist. The goal is to see if this gentle approach can keep airways hydrated and help the lungs remove particles and germs more effectively.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- continuous nebulisation of isotonic (0.9%) saline solution combined with heated humidification via high-flow nasal cannula
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this simple combination could point toward a gentler way to help people with lung conditions clear mucus without the irritation of stronger salt solutions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to people with lung disease. The effect of isotonic saline on mucus clearance is still unclear.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * \>18 years old * healthy spiromètry Exclusion Criteria: * \<18 years old * Pathologic spiromètry * Active smokers
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Brussels, 1200, Belgium
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