How the protein vimentin affects lung inflammation and healing after severe flu pneumonia
Project 1: Vimentin regulates host response and repair mechanisms to influenza A viral pneumonia
This project looks at whether lowering vimentin in specific immune cells can help lungs recover after severe influenza-caused ARDS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11188988 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are using advanced mouse models to mimic severe influenza pneumonia and lingering lung injury. They will remove vimentin in certain immune cells called monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages after the virus clears to see if inflammation settles and repair improves. The team will track inflammatory signals (like the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β/IL-18) and use lineage-tracing to follow cell behavior, and they will also examine how regulatory T cells change when vimentin is absent. This is primarily laboratory work aimed at understanding why some people have persistent respiratory failure after flu.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future trials based on this work would be adults who have had severe influenza pneumonia complicated by ARDS with ongoing respiratory failure or delayed lung recovery.
Not a fit: People with mild flu, non-infectious causes of ARDS, or unrelated chronic lung diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that reduce stubborn lung inflammation and speed recovery after flu-related ARDS.
How similar studies have performed: Related preclinical studies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome have reduced lung inflammation in animal models, but directly targeting vimentin is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ridge, Karen M — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Ridge, Karen M
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.