Different immune behaviors of lung macrophages during fungal lung infections
Heterogeneous immune responses of the alveolar macrophage population during pulmonary fungal infections
This project looks at how lung macrophages behave during fungal lung infections to learn which responses help clear the fungus and which cause harmful inflammation for people with Aspergillus lung infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169050 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use advanced lab tools in mice, including fate-mapping reporter systems, multi-color flow cytometry, single-cell gene expression, and ATAC-seq, to map how alveolar macrophages respond when the lung is infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. They will identify distinct macrophage subgroups that produce pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory programs and examine the transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms behind those differences. The team will also explore signaling pathways, such as C-type lectin receptor signaling, that may drive fungus-specific macrophage behaviors. Findings aim to reveal which macrophages help clear fungus and which drive lung damage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most relevant to this work include patients with or at high risk for pulmonary Aspergillus infections, such as immunocompromised individuals, people with chronic lung disease, or transplant recipients.
Not a fit: Healthy people without fungal lung disease or those with unrelated non-fungal lung conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to boost helpful macrophage responses or block harmful ones, leading to better treatments that clear fungal lung infections while reducing inflammation and lung injury.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and laboratory studies have shown mixed results about alveolar macrophages—some indicating protective roles and others harmful effects—while recent work supports the presence of distinct pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophage subsets during fungal infection.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shinohara, Mari L. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Shinohara, Mari L.
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 below.