CD4 T Cells, Schistosoma, and Pulmonary Hypertension: Understanding How Immune Cells Drive Disease
Official title: Activation, Phenotype and Function of CD4 T Cells in Schistosoma-Pulmonary Hypertension
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11606579 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A human-health focused study uses a mouse model and human samples to explore how immune cells and inflammation may contribute to a lung blood vessel disease linked to schistosomiasis.
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 | December 15, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $39,252 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL135872-10S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11606579 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with schistosomiasis who are at risk for or have developed pulmonary hypertension, and healthy volunteers or patients providing biospecimens for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without schistosomiasis-associated PAH or those not contributing biospecimens may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project investigates how adaptive and innate immune responses interact in schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension, using a mouse model to trace how CD4 T cells and recruited monocytes contribute to vascular remodeling. It also analyzes human biospecimens to find proteins that correlate with PAH in people with severe schistosomiasis. The researchers aim to map pathways that could be targeted to prevent or treat PAH in affected patients. By connecting animal findings with human data, the work seeks to bridge basic immunology and potential clinical insights for schistosomiasis-related PAH.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could identify immune pathways and biomarkers that inform future therapies or risk assessment for patients with schistosomiasis-associated PAH.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has identified immune mechanisms in Schistosoma-related PAH, and this study aims to extend those findings with translational human data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Graham, Brian Barkley — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Graham, Brian Barkley
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how CD4 T cells fuel schistosomiasis-related lung disease
A study explores how specific immune cells and inflammatory signals in schistosomiasis may contribute to pulmonary hypertension in people affected by the disease.
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CD4 T Cells and Schistosoma-Related Pulmonary Hypertension
A study to understand how specific immune cells behave in a lung complication caused by schistosomiasis, with the goal of finding targets to prevent or treat it.
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Clinical CT Imaging to identify and subtype pulmonary hypertension in COPD
A new CT imaging approach aims to help doctors detect and classify pulmonary hypertension in people with COPD.
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In people with pulmonary hypertension, researchers are studying how the right side of the heart changes and why it fails, with the goal of finding new treatments.
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TEMPO-PH: How the right heart adapts in pulmonary hypertension over time
A study to build a detailed molecular portrait of why the right side of the heart fails in pulmonary hypertension and how a common heart medicine might help.
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Wearable sensors to track activity and predict worsening in pediatric pulmonary hypertension
A pediatric-focused study will use wearable activity trackers and cloud-based data analysis to help predict when a child with pulmonary hypertension may worsen.
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.