Immune cell patterns in sarcoidosis
Official title: Multi-Omic Characterization of Immune Cells in Sarcoidosis
Funded at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation · NIH-11143841 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The project uses gene and protein tests on immune cells to find markers that could help diagnose sarcoidosis and predict how it will behave.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $127,875 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HL175092-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143841 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with confirmed or suspected sarcoidosis who can provide blood and/or lung samples — including people of African ancestry — are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without sarcoidosis or those seeking immediate therapeutic benefit are unlikely to gain direct clinical improvement from participating in this biomarker-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers will collect blood and, when possible, lung or bronchoalveolar lavage samples from people with sarcoidosis to study immune cells. They will apply multiple 'omics' techniques — including genetics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and protein profiling — to capture how immune cells differ between patients. Advanced bioinformatics will combine these data to identify molecular signatures linked to disease severity, organ involvement, and ancestry. The team will compare results to prior genetic findings, with attention to people of African ancestry, to build potential diagnostic or prognostic markers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce blood- or tissue-based markers to improve sarcoidosis diagnosis and predict which patients may develop more severe or organ-specific disease.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier genetic and single-cell studies in sarcoidosis have identified susceptibility genes and immune cell signals, but fully integrated multi-omic biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis are still largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
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Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Montgomery, Courtney — Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
- Study coordinator: Montgomery, Courtney
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Integrative metabolomics to improve sarcoidosis diagnosis and prognosis
A research project from UCLA aims to find blood-based biomarkers that help diagnose sarcoidosis earlier and predict how it will progress, especially in African American women.
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Predicting Lung Health in Sarcoidosis with Vitamin D Metabolism
Aging individuals with sarcoidosis, especially Black/African American women, may benefit from a clearer plan that uses vitamin D biology to predict and improve lung health.
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Understanding how inflammation and scarring develop in pulmonary sarcoidosis
A doctor-scientist is studying why some people with sarcoidosis develop dangerous lung scarring and how to prevent it.
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Peptide-based Diagnostic Test for Sarcoidosis
A new test using peptide-based ELISA is being developed to diagnose sarcoidosis, potentially reducing the need for invasive lung biopsies.
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Molecular markers of progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis
This grant looks at proteins and genes in people with sarcoidosis to find early signs that the disease will worsen from the lungs.
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Advanced imaging to monitor immune-suppressant therapy in active cardiac sarcoidosis
A patient-focused imaging study to see how MRI and PET 18F-FDG can track how well immune-suppressant treatment is working for active cardiac sarcoidosis.
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.