Airway stem cell problems in transplant-related obliterative bronchiolitis
Official title: Pathogenesis of Airway Stem Cell Abnormalities in Obliterative Bronchiolitis
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11316996 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how airway stem cells change after lung transplant to help people who develop obliterative bronchiolitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $616,024 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL136370-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11316996 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people who have had a lung transplant and are at risk for, or have early signs of, chronic lung allograft dysfunction/obliterative bronchiolitis.
✕Less likely to help
People without a lung transplant or those with unrelated lung conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this work in the near term.
What this research studies
Researchers use a ferret lung transplant model that closely mimics human chronic lung allograft dysfunction and compare those results with airway tissue from transplant patients. They are tracking specific airway stem cell types, including basal cells marked by Krt14 and Krt15, and glandular myoepithelial cells to see which cells are lost or become pro-fibrotic. The team examines how loss of Krt15 reduces stem cell growth and how certain inflammatory or fibrotic cell clones dominate in end-stage lung diseases. Findings will guide ideas for therapies that could protect or restore the airway stem cell populations that prevent airway scarring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to ways to prevent or reverse the airway scarring that causes graft failure, improving long-term survival after lung transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human tissue and animal studies have shown similar stem-cell changes and pro-fibrotic cell clones, but turning these findings into treatments for obliterative bronchiolitis remains new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parekh, Kalpaj Rajnikant — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Parekh, Kalpaj Rajnikant
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Airway basal cell stress and environmentally caused bronchiolitis obliterans
Researchers are studying how certain inhaled chemicals may damage the airway’s foundational cells and lead to a serious lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans.
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Bronchiolitis Obliterans: turning biology insights into potential therapy
A potential new therapy for a serious lung disease that can occur after stem cell transplant is being tested to see if it can reverse damage and improve breathing.
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Interrupting harmful lung cell interactions to reduce fluid leakage in critically ill children with bronchiolitis
AYA pediatric patients with bronchiolitis who are severely ill may benefit from a study that targets lung cell signals to lessen fluid leak and improve breathing.
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Lymphatic changes after lung transplant and risk of bronchiolitis obliterans
Researchers are looking at how damage or repair of the lung's lymphatic vessels after transplant affects the chance of developing bronchiolitis obliterans in people who receive lung transplants.
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How respiratory viruses affect long-term lung damage after donor stem cell transplant
Following people who had donor stem cell transplants to see how common respiratory viruses relate to long-term lung damage called bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
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Bronchiolitis obliterans after stem-cell transplant: causes and new treatments
This project tries a new drug called KD025 (a ROCK2 blocker) to help people who develop bronchiolitis obliterans after an allogeneic stem-cell transplant.
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.