How airway cells from older adults affect lung defenses against viruses
Modulation of lung immunity by epithelial cells from older individuals
This project looks at how airway cells from older adults change lung immune responses to viruses like influenza and COVID-19.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jackson Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bar Harbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11330393 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers grow airway epithelial cells taken from older and younger people in lab air-liquid-interface cultures that mimic the lung surface. They expose these cultures to respiratory viruses and measure antiviral interferon signals, how viral antigens are handled, and how those signals influence CD8+ T-cell responses. The team compares baseline inflammation and gene activity in older versus young epithelium and performs mechanistic tests of antigen presentation. Findings are meant to explain why people 65 and older have worse outcomes with respiratory viruses and to point toward ways to improve lung immunity in aging.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be older adults (particularly those 65 and up) who can donate airway samples or participate in studies of lung immune responses to respiratory viruses.
Not a fit: People who are not in older age groups or who cannot or do not wish to provide airway tissue samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal why aging airway cells weaken antiviral defenses and suggest targets to improve protection for older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown age-related differences in epithelial antiviral responses, but this project uses ex vivo airway cultures to probe underlying mechanisms, combining established observations with novel approaches.
Where this research is happening
Bar Harbor, United States
- Jackson Laboratory — Bar Harbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palucka, Anna Karolina — Jackson Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Palucka, Anna Karolina
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 below.