How respiratory viruses affect long-term lung damage after donor stem cell transplant
Official title: Longitudinal Impact of Respiratory Viruses on Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11237165 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Following people who had donor stem cell transplants to see how common respiratory viruses relate to long-term lung damage called bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $725,389 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL161037-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237165 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have received an allogeneic (donor) hematopoietic cell transplant, especially those with or at risk for chronic graft-versus-host disease affecting the lungs, are the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a prior donor stem cell transplant or whose lung problems come from unrelated causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be followed over time after an allogeneic (donor) hematopoietic cell transplant to track respiratory infections and lung function. The team will collect samples to test for viruses like RSV, parainfluenza, metapneumovirus, and flu, including infections that cause no symptoms. You would use mobile home spirometry so lung function can be measured frequently and remotely, and those results will be compared with viral exposure over months to years. Multiple transplant centers will work together to map how repeated or asymptomatic viral infections line up with the start and progression of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify virus-related triggers and timing that help prevent or slow lung damage in transplant survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior data indicate respiratory viruses can increase BOS risk and that home spirometry is feasible, but this long-term multicenter link between viral exposure and lung decline is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Guang-Shing — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Guang-Shing
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Lymphatic changes after lung transplant and risk of bronchiolitis obliterans
Researchers are looking at how damage or repair of the lung's lymphatic vessels after transplant affects the chance of developing bronchiolitis obliterans in people who receive lung transplants.
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Predicting early lung disease in children and young adults after stem cell transplant
This work aims to find better ways to screen for and predict a serious lung condition called bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in children and young adults who have had a stem cell transplant.
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Understanding how lymphatic dysfunction leads to lung complications after transplant
This study is looking at how problems with the lymphatic system might lead to a serious lung issue called bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after a lung transplant, and it aims to find ways to protect against this condition for patients who have had a transplant.
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Investigating how respiratory viruses affect lung health in transplant patients
This study is looking at how respiratory viruses affect lung health in people who have had a stem cell transplant and are dealing with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, and it will use home devices to keep track of their lung function over time to help catch any problems early.
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Targeting early oral GVHD to improve mouth health after stem cell transplant
A study at UW–Madison will explore why some transplant patients develop painful oral GVHD and test ideas to prevent and lessen mouth-related problems.
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Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
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.