A Safer Medicine for Lung Injury in Premature Babies
A Safer Glucocorticoid to Treat Neonatal Lung Injury with Limited Adverse Neurologic Effects
This research is exploring a new inhaled medicine to help premature babies with lung injury, aiming to protect their brains from side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128570 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a serious lung condition affecting many premature babies, and current treatments with steroid medicines can unfortunately have lasting effects on brain development. We are looking into a different inhaled steroid called ciclesonide, which is already used for asthma and allergies, to see if it can treat lung injury without harming the brain. Our goal is to find a safer way to help these vulnerable infants breathe better while also protecting their long-term brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is focused on premature infants who develop lung injury, specifically bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Not a fit: Patients who are not premature infants or do not have lung injury would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a new treatment for premature babies with lung injury that is more effective and has fewer negative effects on brain development compared to current options.
How similar studies have performed: While ciclesonide is approved and shown to be safe for other conditions like asthma, its specific use to treat neonatal lung injury with limited neurological side effects is a novel approach being explored here.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Defranco, Donald B — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Defranco, Donald B
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.