Animal models for severe lung failure (ARDS) and ventilator-related lung damage
Official title: Pre-Clinical Large and Small Animal Models of ARDS/VILI
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11193828 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using rat and pig models to find ways to protect and repair lungs for people with severe breathing failure (ARDS) and to reduce harm from mechanical ventilation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $263,308 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL126609-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193828 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or those at high risk of ventilator-induced lung injury are the kinds of patients who could benefit from future clinical trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
Because this is preclinical animal research, patients will not receive direct treatments from the project right now and those with non-respiratory conditions are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds and uses well-controlled rat and pig models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI) to study how the blood vessel lining in the lung (endothelial cells) and their internal skeleton contribute to damage. Researchers will apply advanced techniques to characterize barrier breakdown, test pharmacological agonists, antagonists, and monoclonal antibodies, and collect standardized physiological and tissue data across experiments. The core maintains and operates animal facilities, provides expertise and training to collaborating projects, and manages data and samples to improve reproducibility. The goal is to turn findings from these animal studies into candidate therapies that could be tested in people with ARDS.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify treatments that protect the lung lining and lead to new therapies that lower death and complications from ARDS and ventilator-induced injury.
How similar studies have gone: Related animal-model research has produced useful biological insights and candidate drugs, but many therapies that worked in animals have not yet translated into proven human ARDS treatments.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sammani, Saad — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Sammani, Saad
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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.