How high carbon dioxide affects lung cell healing in ARDS
Mitochondrial maladaptive response of the lung epithelium to elevated CO2 levels
This work looks at how high carbon dioxide levels harm lung cells and their ability to heal in people with ARDS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11374510 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When people develop ARDS their air sacs (alveoli) are injured and need to be repaired by special lung cells called AT2 cells that become AT1 cells. Treatments that protect the lung during ventilation can raise CO2 levels (hypercapnia), and this project studies how that high CO2 interferes with cell energy factories (mitochondria) and the normal repair process. The team will use lung cells and animal models to examine how high CO2 affects key metabolic enzymes and triggers a cellular stress response that blocks healing. The goal is to find molecular steps that could be targeted to help the lung epithelium recover after injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome or acute lung injury, especially those on mechanical ventilation who develop elevated CO2, would be the most relevant candidates for related future studies.
Not a fit: People without ARDS or with chronic lung conditions unrelated to acute alveolar injury are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic and preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could identify new targets for treatments that help lungs heal better and lower complications and deaths in ARDS.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and animal studies have linked high CO2 and mitochondrial dysfunction to worse lung repair, but therapies aimed at these pathways have not yet been tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sznajder, Jacob I — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Sznajder, Jacob I
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.