Finding genes that cause interstitial lung disease in children
Official title: INTEGRATIVE GENOMICS OF CHILDHOOD INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11177025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will look at genes and lung tissue from children with interstitial lung disease to group similar cases and guide better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 26, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $755,922 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL170151-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11177025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children (infants through adolescence) diagnosed with or suspected to have childhood interstitial and diffuse lung disease who have available clinical data and donated or could donate blood or lung biopsy samples would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without chILD or those who cannot or will not provide genetic or biopsy samples are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project uses two approaches: genetic sequencing of children seen in specialized chILD clinics and detailed gene activity mapping of lung biopsy samples. The team will profile about 300 biopsy samples to identify groups of patients with similar molecular signatures. They will build a molecular classifier using 50 samples with clear genetic diagnoses, validate it on another 50 samples, and then apply it to the remaining 200 samples. The aim is to find shared biological causes that could point to more targeted care for children with chILD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to clearer genetic diagnoses for many children with chILD and help direct more precise, biologically based treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work by this team has already provided genetic diagnoses in about 20% of cases and discovered several new candidate genes, so this project builds on promising preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Raby, Benjamin Alexander — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Raby, Benjamin Alexander
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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.