Immune and cell‑aging changes in steroid‑resistant severe asthma
Official title: Dysregulated Immunometabolism and Premature Senescence in Corticosteroid-Refractory Severe Asthma
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11292422 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at immune system changes and early cell aging in people whose severe asthma doesn't improve with steroid treatment to find new treatment ideas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $725,426 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL166219-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11292422 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people (adults and possibly children) with severe asthma that remains uncontrolled despite high‑dose corticosteroids who are willing to provide lung samples such as sputum or undergo bronchoscopy for research.
✕Less likely to help
People with mild, steroid‑responsive asthma or those unwilling to provide lung samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you have severe asthma that doesn't respond to inhaled steroids, researchers are studying immune cells taken from your lungs to see what is different. They use high‑dimensional multi‑omics testing on bronchoalveolar lavage samples and other laboratory methods to map immune and metabolic changes. The team also uses mouse models to test whether targeting those pathways can improve disease. Their earlier findings include a strong IFN‑gamma/type‑1 response and tissue‑resident memory T cells in some severe asthma patients, and now they are examining immunometabolism and premature cellular senescence as possible drivers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments for people with steroid‑refractory severe asthma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous clinical work targeting GATA‑3 showed benefit in mild allergic asthma, but strategies for corticosteroid‑refractory severe asthma are newer and less tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ray, Anuradha — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Ray, Anuradha
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Scientists are studying how a molecule called LIGHT drives severe asthma by promoting dangerous changes in the airways, with the goal of finding new ways to help people who don’t respond to current treatments.
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How airway lining cells and immune cells drive severe steroid-resistant asthma
This project looks at how immune cells and the cells that line the airways interact in people whose severe asthma does not respond to corticosteroids, to find clearer markers and better treatment options.
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.