How antibody sugar tags shape lung immune responses

Regulation Of Lung Immunity By Antibody Glycosylation

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11241142

Researchers want to see if different sugar decorations on antibodies change lung inflammation during infections like COVID-19 and influenza.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11241142 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This work looks at how tiny sugar marks on IgG antibodies change the way immune complexes talk to lung cells during respiratory infections. Scientists will use mice engineered to carry human antibody receptors and will expose them to SARS-CoV-2 or influenza to compare antibody glycoforms such as fucosylation and sialylation. They will measure viral levels, lung inflammation, and immune signals, and use molecular tools to trace which pathways drive harmful or protective responses. The team also compares their findings to patterns seen in people with different disease severities to link the lab work back to patients.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who had recent or past COVID-19 or influenza and are willing to provide blood or respiratory samples could be relevant for the human-sample comparisons in this research.

Not a fit: Patients without infection-driven lung inflammation or those seeking direct clinical treatment are unlikely to gain immediate benefit from this basic research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If these findings hold up, they could point to new biomarkers or treatments that limit harmful lung inflammation in COVID-19, influenza, and similar infections.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that antibody glycosylation patterns track with disease severity and can alter immune effects, but using that knowledge to change lung outcomes in COVID-19 and influenza is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Stanford, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.