How estrogen affects lung inflammation and infections in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis
Official title: Estrogen-mediated effects on neutrophil function and airway inflammatory response
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11193923 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether estrogen changes how neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) behave and makes lung infections and flare-ups worse for people, especially females, with cystic fibrosis or non-CF bronchiectasis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $511,097 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL175722-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193923 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are females (adolescents and adults) with cystic fibrosis or non-CF bronchiectasis who have recurrent lung infections or symptoms that seem to change with their menstrual cycle.
✕Less likely to help
Men, people without CF or bronchiectasis, or patients whose lung disease is not driven by neutrophilic inflammation are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will collect blood and sputum from people with cystic fibrosis and non-CF bronchiectasis to measure hormone levels and signs of neutrophil activity. They will test how neutrophils release NETs (web-like traps) and kill bacteria such as Pseudomonas in the lab. Samples may be compared across menstrual cycle phases and between people using hormonal contraception to see if higher estrogen links with worse inflammation. The project combines patient samples with laboratory experiments to link hormone levels to lung inflammation and infection risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to hormone-based ways to reduce lung inflammation and infections and improve outcomes for females with CF or bronchiectasis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior epidemiologic and small clinical studies have linked higher estrogen to worse sputum inflammation and shown that hormonal contraception can improve some markers, but detailed lab work on neutrophil function and NETs in this context is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Raksha — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Jain, Raksha
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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.