How immune signals and macrophage inflammation affect viral pneumonia in children
Official title: Elucidating the role of type I interferon signaling and macrophage-derived inflammation in the juvenile host with viral pneumonia
Funded at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11313817 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing whether lowering a specific immune signal (type I interferon) can reduce harmful lung inflammation in young children with viral pneumonia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | May 8, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $618,889 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168672-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11313817 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This is most relevant to infants and young children (toddlers and preschoolers) who are hospitalized with severe viral pneumonia or at high risk for immune-driven respiratory failure.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, people whose illness is driven mainly by uncontrolled viral replication rather than immune-driven inflammation, or those with unrelated lung conditions are less likely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This work looks at why children are more likely than adults to develop severe viral pneumonia by studying differences in early immune responses. The team uses juvenile and adult mouse models to track how type I interferon signaling drives recruitment and activation of inflammatory macrophages in the lungs. They use genetic deletion and drugs to block the interferon receptor on recruited macrophages and measure effects on lung inflammation and survival. Results will help decide if targeting this immune pathway could become a treatment idea for children with severe viral lung infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that reduce damaging lung inflammation and improve survival in children hospitalized with viral pneumonia.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical mouse studies, including the investigators' preliminary data, show that blocking macrophage type I IFN signaling can improve survival, but this approach has not yet been tested in human children.
Where this research is happening
-
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coates, Bria M — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Coates, Bria M
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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.