Immune cell 'nets' and inflammation in heart and lung scarring
Official title: Inflammation and thrombosis fuel cardiovascular and pulmonary disease: Focus on the interplay of neutrophil inflammasomes with NETs
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11300191 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how neutrophil 'nets' and inflammation help form blood clots and cause scarring in the heart and lungs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,177,050 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL166556-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300191 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who might benefit in future clinical trials include people with inflammation-linked blood clots, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), or inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
✕Less likely to help
People whose heart or lung problems are not driven by inflammation or NET-related thrombosis are less likely to benefit from these approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers are examining how neutrophils form extracellular traps (NETs) and how inflammasome proteins like PAD4 and NLRP3 drive NET formation and NETosis. They use laboratory experiments and animal models to see how NETs promote clot formation, deposit in vessel walls and distant organs, and lead to heart and lung fibrosis including HFpEF. The team will test whether blocking PAD4 or the NLRP3 inflammasome reduces NETs, helps break up clots, and prevents downstream inflammation and organ scarring. Methods include molecular assays, imaging of thrombi and tissues, and treatment of mice with specific inhibitors to measure effects on inflammation, thrombosis, and organ function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that stop harmful NET formation or inflammasome activation to reduce clots and prevent heart and lung scarring.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and animal studies, including work from this group, show NETs promote thrombosis and fibrosis and that blocking PAD4 or inflammasome activity helps in mice, but human therapies remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagner, Denisa D — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wagner, Denisa D
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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.