How newborn oxygen treatment can lead to high blood pressure in the lungs later in life
Defining how neonatal hyperoxia causes pulmonary hypertension in adults
This work looks at whether extra oxygen given to very premature babies causes long-term changes that lead to pulmonary high blood pressure in adults born preterm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247146 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From the patient perspective, researchers will compare lung tissue from preterm infants and adults who were born preterm with experiments in a mouse model that mimics high oxygen exposure after birth. They will measure changes in blood-vessel and heart-lining cells, focusing on angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and the angiotensin II pathway across three stages of disease development. The team will track how early oxygen exposure 'primes' the lung and whether that leads to later pulmonary hypertension and left heart changes. Findings aim to link what is seen in mice with real human samples to point toward prevention or treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who were born extremely preterm—especially those who needed supplemental oxygen at birth—or people willing to provide relevant medical history and biological samples.
Not a fit: People with pulmonary hypertension caused by clearly unrelated conditions (for example, due to chronic lung disease or left-heart failure not linked to prematurity) may not benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to prevent or treat pulmonary hypertension in adults born preterm by targeting the ACE/angiotensin II pathway or related mechanisms.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies have previously shown that neonatal hyperoxia can cause later pulmonary hypertension, but applying those mechanisms to adults born preterm using human lung samples is a newer translational step.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'reilly, Michael a — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: O'reilly, Michael a
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.