Immune communication in lung scarring and injury
Immune crosstalk in lung injury and fibrosis
This work looks at whether signals from lung cells cause scarring and make people with lung fibrosis more likely to get certain bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251966 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have lung injury or scarring (fibrosis), this research looks at how lung cells send signals that bring in immune cells and drive scarring. The team focuses on a molecule called HB-EGF made by epithelial cells and how cell-to-cell contact changes immune behavior. They will use lab experiments, animal models, and human tissue or patient samples to study why fibrotic lungs struggle to recruit neutrophils and fail to clear gram-positive bacteria. Understanding these steps could point to ways to protect people with fibrosis from infections and slow scarring.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with pulmonary fibrosis or those who have trouble clearing lung infections—such as some patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplant—are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People without lung disease or whose infections are primarily due to gram-negative bacteria are unlikely to see direct benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to new treatments that reduce lung scarring and help patients with fibrosis fight certain bacterial lung infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and animal studies link epithelial signals to fibrosis and the investigators' past work supports this approach, but the specific link between HB-EGF and poor gram-positive clearance is a relatively new focus.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moore, Bethany B. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Moore, Bethany B.
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 below.