How blood-flow injury at transplant affects lung transplant rejection
Official title: The Role of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Lung Allograft Rejection
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11334335 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether reducing early blood-flow injury and calming the immediate immune reaction after a lung transplant helps prevent rejection and improve outcomes for lung transplant recipients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2009 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $653,807 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL094601-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11334335 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had or are scheduled to receive a lung transplant would be the most relevant candidates for trials or for donating samples to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a lung transplant or those with late rejection driven mainly by long-term adaptive immune responses may not directly benefit from these early-injury-focused approaches.
What this research studies
This work focuses on the damage that happens when a donor lung loses and then regains blood flow during transplant and how that damage sparks immune cells to attack the graft. The team studies neutrophil-driven inflammation, a form of inflammatory cell death called necroptosis, and how macrophages clear dying cells (efferocytosis) to promote resolution. They are testing approaches to shift neutrophils toward less-inflammatory death and to target metabolic and innate immune pathways activated at reperfusion. Experiments use laboratory and preclinical models to identify strategies that could be translated into treatments given around the time of transplantation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce early graft injury and lower rates of rejection after lung transplant, improving survival and long-term lung function.
How similar studies have gone: Related approaches targeting innate immune injury have shown promise in preclinical transplant models but remain early and are not yet widely proven in human lung transplant patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kreisel, Daniel — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Kreisel, Daniel
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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.