Imaging and multi-omics to find subtypes of emphysema in COPD
Official title: Imaging and multi-omics analyses to identify molecular subtypes of distinct emphysema patterns
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11391042 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for molecular subtypes of emphysema in COPD by combining imaging with blood and tissue data to improve understanding and treatment options.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $811,225 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL167072-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391042 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with COPD and emphysema patterns represented in the COPDGene and LTRC datasets may benefit from the research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without COPD or with non-emphysematous lung disease may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will use large COPD datasets to link lung imaging patterns with genetic, epigenetic, and protein data from blood and lung tissue. They will identify distinct emphysema types by clustering imaging features and test how these groups relate to various omics markers. A machine-learning model will be built using lung-tissue information to predict blood-based biomarkers that reflect lung changes. The work includes validating findings with in vitro experiments to support clinical relevance. The goal is to uncover new biomarkers and subtypes that could guide personalized therapies for COPD-related emphysema.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with COPD could receive more precise diagnoses and personalized treatment strategies based on their emphysema subtype.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked imaging patterns with omics data, but this project aims to integrate multi-omics with imaging to identify novel subtypes.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: El Boueiz, Adel — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: El Boueiz, Adel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Precision phenotyping of emphysema in the elderly: a study in diverse adults
Researchers will look at CT scans and lung tests in older adults to understand different forms of emphysema and how they relate to health outcomes.
-
Lithium as a potential disease-modifying treatment for emphysema using a precision approach
A low-dose lithium approach is being studied to slow or modify emphysema in smokers who have COPD.
-
Precision phenotyping of emphysema in the elderly: the MESA Lung Study
Aging adults with or without COPD-related symptoms may benefit from a new study that maps subtypes of emphysema on CT scans to better predict health risks.
-
E-cigarette use and emphysema risk in young adults (VapeScan)
A study to understand whether vaping or traditional cigarettes cause early lung damage in young adults.
-
Loss of lung blood-vessel stem cells that may speed lung aging and raise emphysema risk
Researchers will look at how losing a type of lung blood-vessel progenitor cell may make lungs age faster and increase emphysema risk in adults.
-
Immune cells blocking lung repair stem cells in emphysema
This project looks at how immune cells in the lungs may stop repair stem cells after viral infections in people with emphysema.
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.