Dysregulation of lipid metabolism and signaling in LAM (a rare lung disease in young women)
Official title: Dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism and signaling in LAM
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11607153 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how fat-related molecules and their signals may drive lung disease in women with LAM, with the goal of finding better ways to treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $696,654 |
| NIH project number | 7R01HL178848-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11607153 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals diagnosed with LAM, particularly premenopausal or early postmenopausal women, and those who could contribute tissue or sample data for mechanistic studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without LAM or those not contributing samples or data for mechanistic studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
LAM is a rare, serious lung condition that mostly affects young women and involves abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells and lung damage. The project focuses on how estrogen and sphingolipid metabolism interact in TSC2-deficient cells to influence disease progression. Researchers will use biochemical methods and single-cell multiome analyses to explore these pathways and identify potential intervention points. The findings could point to new targeted therapies beyond current mTOR inhibitors like sirolimus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new treatments that slow or prevent lung decline in women with LAM.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work confirms the importance of mTOR pathways in LAM, but the specific link between estrogen, sphingolipid metabolism, and disease progression is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Jane — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Yu, Jane
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.