How respiratory viruses affect long-term lung damage after donor stem cell transplant

Longitudinal Impact of Respiratory Viruses on Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients

NIH-funded research Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11237165

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 typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionFred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Seattle, United States)
Project IDNIH-11237165 on NIH RePORTER

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.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: 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.

Not a fit: People without a prior donor stem cell transplant or whose lung problems come from unrelated causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

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 performed: 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

Seattle, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.