Long-term lung health after very early birth
Official title: Long-term Endotypes of Prematurity Associated Respiratory Disease (LEOPARD)
Funded at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11168722 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for genetic patterns that explain why some babies born before 28 weeks have lasting breathing problems, to help people born very prematurely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,906,644 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164570-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168722 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people (children or adults) who were born before 28 weeks gestation and who have DNA or genome-wide data and ongoing clinical follow-up in one of the contributing cohorts.
✕Less likely to help
People born at term, those without a history of prematurity-related lung issues, or anyone seeking an immediate therapy are unlikely to get direct medical benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you or your child were born before 28 weeks, this work pulls together DNA and long-term health information from about 2,000 people who were born very early to look for groups ('endotypes') that share the same genetic pathways and later lung or heart-lung problems. The team uses existing genome-wide data and DNA samples from several newborn cohorts, including data collected through the ECHO program, plus medical records and follow-up exams at school age and beyond. By linking gene pathways to different clinical outcomes like bronchopulmonary dysplasia, asthma, or pulmonary vascular disease, researchers aim to define biologic subtypes that explain why outcomes vary. Those subtypes could guide future, more personalized prevention or treatment strategies for children born extremely preterm.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help predict which babies born extremely preterm are at highest risk for chronic lung or heart-lung problems and point to better, more personalized prevention or treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Genetic and cohort studies have found some links to bronchopulmonary dysplasia but have been limited by size and heterogeneity, so combining large cohorts to define genetic endotypes is a relatively new and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
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Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hamvas, Aaron — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Hamvas, Aaron
Related research
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A long-term study looking at why some babies born very early develop lasting breathing problems and how their genes might explain these different paths.
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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.