Finding molecular types of emphysema using CT scans and blood tests
Official title: Imaging and multi-omics analyses to identify molecular subtypes of distinct emphysema patterns
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11146689 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses CT lung images plus blood and lung-tissue tests to find different molecular types of emphysema in people with COPD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $837,829 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL167072-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146689 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with COPD who have CT-confirmed emphysema (centrilobular, panlobular, or paraseptal) and who can provide blood samples or, when available, lung tissue.
✕Less likely to help
People without COPD or emphysema, or those unable to provide blood or tissue samples, are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
We will map emphysema patterns in each lung lobe using detailed CT image analysis from large COPD research groups. Then we will combine genetic, DNA methylation, telomere, gene expression, and protein data from blood and lung tissue to look for distinct molecular subtypes tied to those CT patterns. Machine learning will be used to build a blood-based test that is informed by what is seen in lung tissue. The work uses existing well-characterized COPD cohorts and lab validation to make findings more reliable.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a blood test that helps identify specific emphysema subtypes and guide more personalized treatment choices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked CT emphysema patterns to genetic and blood markers, but combining lobar imaging with multi-omics and a lung-informed blood test is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: El Boueiz, Adel — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: El Boueiz, Adel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Precision phenotyping of emphysema in the elderly: a study in diverse adults
Researchers will look at CT scans and lung tests in older adults to understand different forms of emphysema and how they relate to health outcomes.
-
Lithium as a potential disease-modifying treatment for emphysema using a precision approach
A low-dose lithium approach is being studied to slow or modify emphysema in smokers who have COPD.
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Imaging and multi-omics to find subtypes of emphysema in COPD
This project looks for molecular subtypes of emphysema in COPD by combining imaging with blood and tissue data to improve understanding and treatment options.
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Precision phenotyping of emphysema in the elderly: the MESA Lung Study
Aging adults with or without COPD-related symptoms may benefit from a new study that maps subtypes of emphysema on CT scans to better predict health risks.
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E-cigarette use and emphysema risk in young adults (VapeScan)
A study to understand whether vaping or traditional cigarettes cause early lung damage in young adults.
-
Loss of lung blood-vessel stem cells that may speed lung aging and raise emphysema risk
Researchers will look at how losing a type of lung blood-vessel progenitor cell may make lungs age faster and increase emphysema risk in adults.
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.