3D human airway models to better understand lung immune responses
Technology Development Project - Increasing the complexity of ex vivo human airway models for studying immune response to viral infection
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · JACKSON LABORATORY · NIH-11330399
This project builds more realistic 3D lab-grown human lung tissues to help researchers learn how lungs and immune cells react to viruses, which could help people with respiratory infections.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JACKSON LABORATORY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BAR HARBOR, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11330399 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will create bioprinted 3D airway and lung tissues that include air flow and blood-vessel like channels so the tissue behaves more like a real lung. They will add human immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells into these tissues and expose them to viral agents to watch how cells interact. The team will include age-related molecular features like changes in gene splicing and epigenetic marks to mirror differences seen in older versus younger lungs. The aim is to make a model that is more predictive than simple cell cultures or animal tests for human lung immunity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal contributors would be people who can donate airway or lung tissue or cells (for example during bronchoscopy or lung surgery) or volunteers who want to provide airway samples for related studies.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment for a current lung infection are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this lab-focused technology development work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed up development of better-targeted therapies, improve vaccine testing, and reduce surprises when treatments move to people with viral lung infections.
How similar studies have performed: Related lung organoid and lung-on-chip models have produced useful insights, but fully ventilated, vascularized 3D bioprinted human airway models are newer and less tested.
Where this research is happening
BAR HARBOR, UNITED STATES
- JACKSON LABORATORY — BAR HARBOR, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: WILLIAMS, ADAM — JACKSON LABORATORY
- Study coordinator: WILLIAMS, ADAM
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.