How lung nerve cells change immune responses in severe pneumonia
Official title: Lung-innervating nociceptor sensory neurons suppresses Ly6chi monocyte responses to promote pneumonic sepsis
Funded at Kansas State University · NIH-11238546 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether signals from lung nerve cells change immune responses in people with severe, antibiotic‑resistant Klebsiella pneumonia to help reduce deadly sepsis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kansas State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhattan, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $190,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI186057-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238546 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People hospitalized with severe, carbapenem‑resistant Klebsiella pneumonia or at high risk of pneumonic sepsis would be the most likely candidates for future related clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild or nonbacterial pneumonia, viral lung infections, or conditions unrelated to Klebsiella lung infection are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This project uses mouse models of carbapenem‑resistant Klebsiella pneumonia to mimic severe lung infection and pneumonic sepsis. Scientists will remove, activate, or block specific lung nociceptor neurons and will use drugs and mice lacking the CGRP neuropeptide or its receptor to change nerve signaling. They will watch how these nerve changes affect Ly6chi monocytes, bacterial levels in the lung, and survival. The aim is to see if targeting nerve signals could become a host‑directed way to improve outcomes from antibiotic‑resistant lung infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that target nerve signaling to boost immune clearance and reduce deaths from antibiotic‑resistant pneumonic sepsis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies have shown that nerve‑derived signals like CGRP can change immune responses in the lung, but applying this approach to antibiotic‑resistant Klebsiella pneumonic sepsis is a novel direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Kansas State University
Manhattan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baral, Pankaj — Kansas State University
- Study coordinator: Baral, Pankaj
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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.