How the lung's supporting scaffold affects airway lining cell repair
Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Airway Epithelial Homeostasis
['FUNDING_R21'] · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · NIH-11175425
Researchers are looking at whether changes in the lung's structural scaffold (the extracellular matrix) change how airway lining cells grow and repair, which matters for people with COPD and other airway diseases.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R21'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11175425 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have COPD or another airway condition, this research uses airway cells grown in the lab as three-dimensional organoids to mimic how the airway surface and its supporting scaffold interact. The team uses a novel "apical-out" organoid that better reflects how airway cells face the outside world and then alters the surrounding extracellular matrix for stiffness and protein composition. They watch how basal (repair) cells self-renew and turn into mature airway cells under those different ECM conditions and probe the molecular signals involved. The goal is to connect specific ECM changes to faulty repair behaviors seen in disease and point to ways to restore normal healing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with COPD or other chronic airway diseases who can provide airway tissue, sputum, or consent to sample donation at or to the University of Vermont would be appropriate contributors of samples.
Not a fit: People without airway disease or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets to restore normal airway repair and lead to therapies for COPD and other chronic airway diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Lab studies using organoids and extracellular matrix manipulation have improved understanding of lung biology, but the specific apical-out airway organoid method is new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE — BURLINGTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: WEISS, DANIEL J — UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE
- Study coordinator: WEISS, DANIEL J
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.
Conditions: Airway Disease