Imaging how belly fat affects lung collapse in severe breathing failure
Official title: Imaging the Respiratory Effects of Truncal Adiposity in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11408601 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A hospital-based study will use CT scans and AI tools to understand how truncal fat distribution changes lung collapse and treatment response in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $655,603 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL177025-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11408601 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure who require intensive care and ventilatory support.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without obesity or not experiencing AHRF may not directly benefit from this imaging-focused approach.
What this research studies
This project will enroll patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and use advanced CT imaging and AI-based analysis to map truncal adiposity and its effects on intrathoracic pressure and lung collapse. By comparing imaging findings with clinical responses to treatments like prone positioning and PEEP, the team aims to identify imaging markers that reflect severity and guide therapy at the bedside. The work builds on prior methods that quantify lung injury and collapse using CT registration and segmentation powered by artificial intelligence. The goal is to improve understanding of obesity-related differences in AHRF and to develop practical imaging tools that clinicians can use to tailor care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians may better predict which patients will respond to standard therapies and personalize treatment for obesity-related AHRF using imaging-derived guidance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that imaging and AI-based analysis can quantify lung collapse and injury; this study extends those methods to obesity-related mechanics in AHRF.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cereda, Maurizio Franco — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Cereda, Maurizio Franco
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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.