Delivering anti‑scarring drugs directly to the lungs' scar‑forming cells
Official title: Localizing Therapeutics to Target Lung Myofibroblasts and Reverse Fibrosis
Funded at Proteogenomics Research Instit/sys/ Med · NIH-11193994 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing a way to send tiny, targeted doses of anti‑scarring therapy straight to the lungs to help people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other lung scarring conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Proteogenomics Research Instit/sys/ Med NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $782,151 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL175948-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193994 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or other progressive fibrotic lung diseases who are willing to enroll in experimental treatment research and can travel to the study site would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without fibrotic lung disease, those with advanced end‑stage respiratory failure unlikely to recover, or people unable to travel to the research site are unlikely to benefit from participation in this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are designing a precision drug delivery system that uses the lung blood vessel lining to funnel medications into lung tissue. The approach targets caveolae (small pockets in endothelial cells) to pump antifibrotic and immune‑directed therapies toward myofibroblasts, the cells that make scar tissue. Work will include laboratory and preclinical testing of targeted carriers and measurement of how much drug reaches lung tissue compared with other organs. The goal is to achieve therapeutic effects at much smaller, safer doses than standard systemic treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce or reverse lung scarring while lowering drug doses and side effects compared with current systemic therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Targeted delivery to the lung is an active research area but reversing established pulmonary fibrosis has been rarely achieved so this approach is relatively novel with limited prior clinical success.
Where this research is happening
-
Proteogenomics Research Instit/sys/ Med
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olenyuk, Bogdan — Proteogenomics Research Instit/sys/ Med
- Study coordinator: Olenyuk, Bogdan
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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.