Local translation in airway cells during viral infection
Official title: Local translation and viral infection in the airway epithelium
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11377278 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in adults looks at how airway multiciliated cells make and locate proteins during viral infections to understand why infections can cause severe lung problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 9, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $652,323 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170904-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377278 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with airway disease or infections who could contribute samples or participate in related future studies.
✕Less likely to help
This research is basic biology and may not directly benefit individual patients in the short term.
What this research studies
Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center will explore how specialized airway cells produce and position many proteins needed to build cilia, especially when viruses like COVID-19 or influenza hijack the cell’s protein-making machinery. They will map the local production and placement of key translation factors and ribosomal components in multiciliated cells and examine the newly observed Localized Translation granules. The study combines cellular imaging and molecular analyses to uncover how viral infection alters protein localization in the airway lining. Findings could reveal new targets to prevent or lessen virus-induced airway disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could lead to new strategies to prevent severe airway disease during viral infections.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary observations of local translation factors in airway cells suggest a promising but early understanding of this mechanism.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cardoso, Wellington V. — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Cardoso, Wellington V.
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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.