Bank of airway, blood, and brain cell samples for COVID and Long-COVID research
Official title: Core-003
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11517267 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project collects and shares airway, blood, and brain cell samples from people with and without COVID-19 to help researchers find treatments for Long-COVID.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 10, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $314,999 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI175399-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11517267 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include people who previously had COVID-19 (including those with persistent Long-COVID symptoms) as well as uninfected volunteers willing to donate blood, airway samples, or consent to tissue donation.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate medical treatment should not expect direct or immediate health benefits from participating, since the core primarily collects and shares samples for research.
What this research studies
The core collects primary human and mouse airway epithelial cells, immune and endothelial cells, and cells isolated from the brain, plus blood and fixed lung and brain tissues from people who had COVID-19 and from uninfected donors. Those samples are processed, maintained, and distributed to linked research projects to study which cell types and pathways drive inflammation and viral effects. By providing standardized, high-quality patient-derived samples, the core lets scientists compare infected and non-infected tissues and test potential therapeutic targets. The work supports several research projects within the program so findings can move more quickly toward possible therapies for Long-COVID.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this resource could speed discovery of the cells and pathways that cause Long-COVID and point to new treatment targets.
How similar studies have gone: Other COVID biobanks and cell-based studies have successfully revealed immune pathways and candidate drug targets, so this sample-driven approach is established and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Amer, Amal O — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Amer, Amal O
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.