Biomarker for gas exchange and blood flow in asthma using special Xenon MRI
Official title: Assessment of Dissolved Phase 129Xe as a Biomarker for gas-exchange and vascular function in asthma
Funded at University of Missouri-Columbia · NIH-11406026 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new MRI method using dissolved xenon aims to map lung blood flow and gas exchange in people with asthma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $449,869 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL179339-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406026 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with asthma who may have variable symptoms and could benefit from non-invasive lung imaging.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with asthma who cannot undergo MRI or who are not suitable for hyperpolarized gas imaging may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will test a non-invasive MRI technique that uses hyperpolarized Xenon-129 to visualize how air and blood move in the lungs of asthma patients. By capturing high-resolution images of regional lung vasculature and gas exchange, researchers hope to understand why some patients have more severe symptoms. The study will compare xenon MRI findings with standard lung tests to see if this method provides new insights for personalized care. Participants may undergo MRI scanning and related imaging procedures as part of the study workflow.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with asthma could receive more precise information about their lung function to guide treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests imaging-based biomarkers can reveal regional lung function, but this specific Xenon-129 approach is innovative for asthma.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomen, Robert Paul — University of Missouri-Columbia
- Study coordinator: Thomen, Robert Paul
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
GLP-1 receptor agonists as immune targets to treat asthma in lean and obese adults
Aims to understand how GLP-1R‑agonist diabetes medicines may directly calm immune cells to reduce asthma in adults who are lean or obese.
-
Understanding how a type of immune cell called ILC2s affect asthma in adults
This grant studies how group 2 innate lymphoid cells influence asthma in adults to help identify new ways to manage airway inflammation.
-
Expanding understanding of asthma in kids through airways and blood profiling
A study at UC San Francisco will profile blood and nasal/sputum samples from 300 youth (including 200 with asthma) over a year to understand how environmental and social factors influence asthma in marginalized communities.
-
Preventing and improving asthma care for children in urban communities
This program will try several approaches — from giving helpful bacteria to babies to allergy immunotherapy and advanced airway testing — to prevent and better treat asthma in children who live in cities.
-
IDEAL project helps predict vaccine response, infections, and asthma in early childhood
A Child-focused program will collect and share saliva, blood, and tissue samples from diverse infants to find biological patterns that predict how vaccines work, how respiratory infections occur, and who develops asthma.
-
Understanding how early-life immune development affects vaccine responses and asthma risk in children
This project uses lab-grown human immune cells from infants and young children to explore why some kids respond poorly to vaccines and are more prone to respiratory infections and asthma.
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.