How blood vessel cells' 'handedness' affects leakiness in the lungs
Official title: Understanding Chirality at Cell-Cell Junctions With Microscale Platforms
Funded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · NIH-11145737 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how the natural 'handedness' of blood vessel cells changes how leaky lung blood vessels can become in conditions like acute lung injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Troy, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $299,850 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM141387-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145737 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with or at high risk for acute lung injury, sepsis, or disorders marked by vascular leak would be the eventual patient groups most likely to benefit from follow-on clinical work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment for their current condition or those without vascular leak issues are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic lab research right now.
What this research studies
They grow and manipulate blood vessel (endothelial) cells on tiny engineered platforms to watch how cell 'handedness' (chirality) changes the opening and closing of junctions that control leakage. The team focuses on mechanisms involving Protein Kinase C (PKC) and measures how changes in chirality alter vascular permeability relevant to the lung. Experiments are done in lab-grown cells and model systems to mimic injury conditions such as sepsis or viral damage. As a patient, I would expect this to be early-stage lab work that could point to therapies to protect the blood vessel barrier rather than offer immediate treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to prevent or reduce dangerous blood-vessel leakiness in acute lung injury, sepsis, and related conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory work has shown PKC can alter cell chirality, but applying chirality concepts specifically to endothelial barrier function and acute lung injury is a relatively new and mostly preclinical area.
Where this research is happening
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wan, Leo Q. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Study coordinator: Wan, Leo Q.
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.