How schistosomiasis-related immune changes lead to pulmonary hypertension
Activation, Phenotype and Function of CD4 T Cells in Schistosoma-Pulmonary Hypertension
This work looks at how immune cells activated by Schistosoma infection can harm lung blood vessels and links findings from mice to protein signals in people with severe schistosomiasis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11417076 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research uses a mouse model of Schistosoma-driven pulmonary hypertension to follow how CD4 T cells and interacting innate immune cells change lung blood vessels. It traces recruitment of CCR2+ monocytes that express thrombospondin-1 and how that activates TGF-β to drive vascular remodeling. The team will also analyze blood and tissue samples from people with severe schistosomiasis to find proteins that correlate with pulmonary hypertension. Together the animal and human biospecimen work aims to connect immune pathways in mice with measurable signals in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with a history of schistosomiasis—especially those with severe infection or signs of pulmonary hypertension—willing to provide blood or tissue samples for analysis.
Not a fit: People without schistosomiasis, or those whose pulmonary hypertension is clearly due to unrelated causes, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal immune-related biomarkers and targets that help diagnose or guide new treatments for schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse studies from this group and others have shown these immune pathways can drive pulmonary hypertension, but translating protein markers to humans remains limited and somewhat novel.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Graham, Brian Barkley — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Graham, Brian Barkley
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.