How the LKB1 protein affects blood vessel and lung growth in babies with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Role of Liver Kinase B1 in the decreased angiogenesis in bronchopulmonary dysplasia
This research is seeing if targeting a cell energy protein (LKB1/AMPK) can help restore blood vessel and lung growth in premature infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11135377 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If my baby was born early and at risk for BPD, researchers will study how decreased LKB1 and related AMPK signaling leads to poor blood vessel (angiogenesis) and lung development. They use a newborn mouse model exposed to high oxygen to mimic preterm lung injury and measure molecules such as LKB1, AMPK, SNRK, and PGC-1α and how mitochondria and endothelial cells behave. The team will test whether activating AMPK (for example with metformin) or manipulating LKB1 restores mitochondrial function and the ability of lung endothelial cells to form new blood vessels. Findings will focus on how endothelial cells choose migratory “tip” or proliferative “stalk” behaviors during vessel growth and how that process is disrupted by hyperoxia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future clinical work would be premature infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or families willing to provide samples for related studies.
Not a fit: Adults without a history of prematurity or patients with lung disease unrelated to BPD are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect or improve lung and blood-vessel growth in preterm infants with or at risk for BPD.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies, including treatment with the AMPK activator metformin, have restored mitochondrial function and improved angiogenesis in mouse BPD models, but LKB1-specific approaches and human data remain limited.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Konduri, Girija G. — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Konduri, Girija G.
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.