How lung type II cells control surfactant and lipid balance
Official title: Regulation of lipid metabolism in pulmonary Type 2 cells
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11228409 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research is seeing if a protein called LRP1 in surfactant-producing lung cells helps keep surfactant fats balanced to protect breathing in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | December 20, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $561,098 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL148774-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11228409 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic lung conditions linked to surfactant dysfunction—for example COPD or pulmonary arterial hypertension—or people willing to provide relevant tissue or samples would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
People without surfactant-related lung problems or children are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this basic laboratory-focused work.
What this research studies
From the patient's point of view, the team made cell lines and a mouse model that lack LRP1 only in the lung cells that make surfactant, allowing them to watch what goes wrong when that protein is missing. They will look at how LRP1 works at the cell membrane and where the fat building blocks for surfactant come from. The researchers will also study how the lung epithelium talks to nearby cells during scarring or fibrotic challenges when LRP1 is absent. The work focuses on mechanisms that could explain surfactant problems seen in adult lung diseases like COPD or pulmonary hypertension.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to restore surfactant balance and improve breathing in people with certain chronic lung diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have associated LRP1 with worse lung function in patients, but using cell-specific LRP1 knockouts to target surfactant metabolism is a relatively new and mechanistic approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garcia-Arcos, Itsaso — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Garcia-Arcos, Itsaso
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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.