ISG15-positive monocytes and SPP1 macrophages in scleroderma lung disease
Official title: ISG15 monocytes as precursors to SPP1 macrophages in Scleroderma ILD
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11392058 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies a specific immune cell pathway in systemic sclerosis with lung scarring to help predict how the disease progresses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $256,650 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI200424-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392058 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with systemic sclerosis and ILD, or who are at risk of ILD progression, who can provide blood samples and participate in related analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without systemic sclerosis or active ILD may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Systemic sclerosis can cause serious lung disease called ILD, and predicting who will worsen is hard. The project focuses on a type of blood monocyte that carries an ISG15 signature and how it relates to lung macrophages that may drive fibrosis. By studying these cells in patients and a mouse model, researchers hope to connect blood signals with lung changes and identify targets for future therapies. The work combines patient blood samples and animal studies to understand disease mechanisms that may guide personalized care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better prediction of disease progression and new personalized treatment approaches for SSc-ILD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work links monocyte and macrophage pathways to fibrosis; this project builds on emerging models in SSc-ILD.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jefferies, Caroline — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Jefferies, Caroline
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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.