Airway cell and immune cell talks in lung transplant failure
Official title: Airway epithelial cell and lymphocyte interactions in chronic lung allograft dysfunction pathogenesis
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11629839 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests how airway cells and immune cells interact to drive chronic rejection after lung transplant, with the goal of slowing or preventing scar-like damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $153,971 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL161048-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11629839 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Lung transplant recipients or airway samples from those patients who develop chronic lung allograft dysfunction.
✕Less likely to help
If you do not have a lung transplant or CLAD, this study is unlikely to affect you.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will study how airway epithelial cells and activated lymphocytes communicate during chronic lung allograft dysfunction, using patient-derived airway brushings and laboratory models to map gene expression and signaling pathways. They will focus on hypoxia-related changes and TNF-related apoptotic signals that may push T cells to attack the transplanted lung. The work builds on transcriptional analyses already done at multiple transplant centers to uncover mechanisms behind CLAD. Findings could reveal new targets to interrupt this harmful crosstalk and improve long-term lung function after transplant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these interactions could lead to therapies that reduce CLAD risk and help transplant recipients breathe easier longer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work from multiple centers has linked gene expression changes to CLAD, suggesting this approach can identify meaningful mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greenland, John — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Greenland, John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cancer cells use exosomes to evade the immune system
This study is looking at how cancer cells use tiny bubbles called exosomes to hide proteins that can keep your immune system from fighting the tumor, and by figuring this out, the researchers hope to help doctors understand why some people respond well to cancer treatments while others don’t, ultimately aiming to creat
-
Reducing harm from smoking using electronic cigarettes
This study is looking at whether using electronic cigarettes can be a safer option for people who smoke traditional cigarettes, by comparing the health effects and exposure to harmful substances between the two.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Cutaneous opioid signals in skin inflammation
A mentor-identified clinician-researcher at UCSF is studying how natural skin opioids regulate itch and pain in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and hidradenitis, with plans to map where these opioids come from and how they affect skin nerves.
-
Pooling international data to understand long-term bisphosphonate use and atypical femur fractures
This project combines large patient datasets from multiple countries to understand how long-term bisphosphonate use relates to rare hip and thigh bone fractures, helping doctors and patients make safer treatment choices.
-
Community and digital tools to reduce HPV and cervical cancer burden
A nurse or health team will test a community-based, digital strategy to help girls and young women, especially in rural areas, get HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention services.
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.