Fungal leaks from the gut and lung health in COPD
Official title: Fungal Translocation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11194604 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether fungi or fungal pieces that pass from the gut into the blood make COPD symptoms and lung function worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $616,495 |
| NIH project number | 7R01HL163646-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194604 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with COPD, including current or former smokers, who can provide blood samples and attend follow-up visits are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without COPD or whose symptoms are driven by non-fungal causes may not receive direct benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, researchers will measure a fungal marker called beta-D-glucan (BDG) in blood samples from people with COPD and link those levels to lung function, symptoms, and flare-ups. They will also study how a weakened gut lining might allow fungal material into the bloodstream and whether that triggers lung inflammation. Lab experiments will test how BDG affects lung cells to help explain how fungal translocation could damage the lungs. Study visits will likely include blood draws, clinical exams, and follow-up for respiratory events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to a blood marker to predict worsening COPD and open up new ways to prevent inflammation by targeting fungal translocation or gut barrier health.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies have linked bacterial gut leak to inflammation in lung disease, but focusing on fungal markers like BDG in COPD is relatively new with promising early data.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bon, Jessica — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Bon, Jessica
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Ethics-aware Multimodal AI for COPD prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
A broad AI model uses diverse health data to help predict and manage COPD in people, with an emphasis on ethics and fairness.
-
Positive airway pressure therapy for older veterans with COPD and sleep apnea overlap
A plan to see if using a CPAP/BAP therapy improves sleep, thinking, and quality of life for older veterans who have both COPD and sleep apnea.
-
Understanding how microbes and our bodies shape HIV-related COPD in LMICs
This project looks at how interactions between the human body and microbes may influence COPD in people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.
-
Anti-EMAP II antibody as a first-in-class treatment for COPD-related pulmonary hypertension
A first-in-class antibody treatment is being developed to help people with COPD-related pulmonary hypertension by blocking EMAP II, a molecule involved in lung injury and inflammation.
-
Non-coding RNA and COPD: how RNA structure changes with disease
A COPD research project explores how non-coding RNA structures in adults with COPD change due to genetic differences and how this affects gene activity.
-
ANT2 and mitochondrial dysfunction in COPD: how energy transport affects lung repair
This project studies how a key mitochondrial transporter (ANT2) may drive aging-like cell changes and repair problems in the lungs of people with COPD.
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.