How IL-33 may protect transplanted hearts
Official title: Immunoregulatory Mechanisms of IL-33 in Heart Transplantation
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11143100 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether a natural protein called IL-33 can reduce inflammation and scarring after a heart transplant for transplant recipients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $609,643 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL122489-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143100 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have received a heart transplant—or are scheduled for one—and are willing to provide blood or tissue samples would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without heart transplants or whose heart problems are unrelated to immune-driven graft injury are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze blood and heart tissue samples from transplant recipients and use mouse heart transplant models to trace how IL-33 is released after transplant injury. They will examine how IL-33 influences incoming immune cells, especially monocytes and macrophages, and whether that signaling limits blood vessel disease and fibrosis in the graft. The team includes analysis of pediatric transplant samples alongside laboratory experiments to connect human findings with mechanisms in mice. Results will guide whether boosting reparative signals like IL-33 could be a path to new therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that reduce chronic rejection and help transplanted hearts last longer.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical mouse studies and analyses of transplant patient samples have suggested IL-33 reduces local inflammation and chronic graft damage, but clinical translation is still early.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Turnquist, Heth R — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Turnquist, Heth R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeted immune treatments to protect donated hearts
This project develops ways to send immune-suppressing medicines directly to the lymph nodes and the transplanted heart to help people with heart transplants avoid rejection while reducing side effects.
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IL-33 helps protect heart transplant patients from long-term rejection
This grant studies how a natural molecule called IL-33 may shield heart transplant patients from ongoing immune damage and chronic rejection.
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Targeted mRNA delivery to improve heart transplants from donation after circulatory death
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Belatacept to reduce rejection and protect kidneys after a heart transplant
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Partial heart transplant to give growing heart valves to children
This work tries transplanting only the donor heart part that contains a valve so children can get a valve that grows with them.
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Predicting Heart Transplant Rejection Risk Before Surgery
This research aims to find ways to predict which heart transplant patients might reject their new heart, helping doctors tailor their medication plans.
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.