How genetic differences drive inflammation
From genetic variants to mechanisms: understanding drivers of inflammation
This project looks at how people's genetic differences change immune cell behavior and cause chronic inflammation, aiming to help those with inflammatory diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11325808 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have an inflammatory condition, this project will connect specific gene variants to the ways your immune cells signal and react. Researchers will combine genetic data with laboratory experiments on immune cells and model systems to trace how variants change cell-to-cell communication and drive prolonged inflammation. The goal is to map the molecular steps that turn normal immune responses into chronic damage. Those maps could point to new, more precise treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions who are willing to contribute clinical information or biological samples and are open to genetic-based research.
Not a fit: People with symptoms caused by acute infection, injury, or non-inflammatory conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to treatments that target the genetic drivers of a person's inflammation so therapy is more effective and less broadly suppressive.
How similar studies have performed: Prior genome-wide studies and animal models have linked genes to inflammatory risk but often could not show how variants change human immune cells, and this work builds on those findings to provide more mechanistic insight.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Markle, Janet G — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Markle, Janet G
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.