How lungs work at the single-cell level in health and disease
Probing functioning lung at the cellular resolution in health and disease
This project aims to track how individual lung cells behave over time to help people with lung conditions such as COVID-19, pollution-related injury, and lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11062821 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team plans to watch lung cells in real time using advanced imaging and single-cell techniques to see how breathing, blood flow, immune cells, and cancer cells interact. They will use realistic lab models and tissue samples to recreate the lung's physical and immune environments so cellular responses to infections, pollutants, and tumors can be observed. The work focuses on capturing early and dynamic events that fixed tissue samples miss, such as how cells move, communicate, and change during disease progression. Findings will be used to point to molecular changes and potential targets for new treatments or diagnostics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with lung conditions (for example COVID-19, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, or lung cancer) or individuals willing to donate lung tissue or respiratory samples for research.
Not a fit: People without lung conditions or those expecting immediate personal treatment benefit are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early cellular changes and new targets that lead to better treatments or diagnostics for lung diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Single-cell and live-imaging methods have already given valuable insights in other organs, but applying real-time, cellular-resolution approaches to the intact lung is novel and largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nia, Hadi Tavakoli — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Nia, Hadi Tavakoli
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.