How immune cells drive lung blood-vessel disease in schistosomiasis
Activation, Phenotype and Function of CD4 T Cells in Schistosoma-Pulmonary Hypertension
This work looks at how specific immune cells in people with schistosomiasis may cause high blood pressure in the lungs and who might be at risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11417075 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use a mouse model that mimics schistosomiasis-linked lung blood-vessel disease to follow the immune steps that lead to vessel scarring. They focus on CD4 Th2 immune cells, how those T cells pull in CCR2+ monocytes that produce thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), and how TSP-1 activates TGF-β to remodel vessels. The team will compare those animal findings with proteins and samples from people with severe schistosomiasis to find matching signals. Combining the animal experiments and human biospecimens is meant to map the immune chain of events that produces pulmonary hypertension.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with severe schistosomiasis, particularly those with signs or a diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension or at high risk for lung vascular disease.
Not a fit: People without schistosomiasis or those whose pulmonary hypertension has a clearly different cause may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological markers and new targets for treatments to prevent or slow lung high blood pressure in people with schistosomiasis.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse studies from this group have already outlined a Th2–monocyte–TSP-1–TGF-β pathway driving schistosoma-linked pulmonary hypertension, but applying those findings to human samples is more recent and less proven.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Graham, Brian Barkley — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Graham, Brian Barkley
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.