Donor immune cells that cause early lung transplant and kidney injury
Official title: Donor nonclassical monocytes mediate primary graft dysfunction and remote organ injury following lung transplant surgery
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11249143 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for ways to stop donor immune cells that cause early lung transplant failure and harm other organs in people receiving lung transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2019 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $664,186 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL145478-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249143 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people undergoing lung transplantation or recently transplanted lung recipients who might be approached for sample donation or future therapy trials.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not have a lung transplant or whose kidney problems come from unrelated causes are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If I or a loved one needs a lung transplant, this research is trying to understand how donor immune cells called nonclassical monocytes cause early graft failure and damage to other organs like the kidneys. The team builds on earlier findings and uses experiments to track how recipient immune cells interact with donor cells and keep them trapped in other organs. They will study the cellular pathways that lead to this bystander injury to spot specific points where treatments could block the harm. The work aims to identify targets that could be turned into therapies to protect the new lung and other organs after transplant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent early graft dysfunction and reduce kidney and other organ injury after lung transplantation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory work suggests targeting nonclassical monocytes may reduce transplant-related injury, but translating these findings into clinical treatments is still novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bharat, Ankit — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Bharat, Ankit
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exercise-based frailty program for people awaiting lung transplants
A tailored exercise and lifestyle program is being tested to reduce frailty and improve outcomes for people waiting for a lung transplant.
-
Understanding why a lung transplant sometimes fails early and how to tailor treatment
A study of people receiving lung transplants to find molecular differences that cause early graft failure and point to better, personalized therapies.
-
Targeting inflammation and alloimmunity in lung transplant recipients with clazakizumab
A study to see if blocking IL-6 with clazakizumab can improve survival and reduce rejection in people who have received a lung transplant.
-
Vaccination responses in lung transplant patients
This grant studies how people who have received lung transplants respond to COVID-19 vaccines and why their antibody responses may be limited.
-
The Post-Lung Transplant Aging in Immune Cells in Donor Lungs
This grant explores how aging donor lungs affect lung transplant outcomes by studying immune cells called alveolar macrophages.
-
Predictors of Lung Transplant Success and Costs
This study looks at what pre-transplant patient factors and biology predict a smooth recovery and lower costs after lung transplant.
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.