Lung M cells and airway immune defenses
Progenitors, Mechanisms of Differentiation, and Functions of Lung M Cells
Researchers are learning how special airway cells called M cells form and help the lungs fight infection and control inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166613 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I joined, researchers would study tiny airway cells called M cells using mouse experiments and human airway cells grown from donated tissue. They will read the genes active in individual M cells, test signals that cause M cells to appear (like RANKL, bacterial components, or flu infection), and grow human airway M cells in the lab. The team will look at how solitary M cells or patches of M cells interact with nearby immune cells and lymphoid tissue during inflammation. The work combines single-cell gene profiling, cell culture, and infection models to understand how M cells influence lung immune responses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with or at risk for airway infections or chronic airway inflammation (for example asthma, COPD, or recurrent respiratory infections) or individuals willing to donate airway tissue samples.
Not a fit: People with medical conditions unrelated to the lungs or those unable/unwilling to provide airway samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to boost airway defenses or reduce harmful lung inflammation during infections and chronic lung diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Related work has successfully characterized M cells in the gut and other mucosal tissues, but applying single-cell analysis and lab-grown human airway M cells is relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rajagopal, Jayaraj — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rajagopal, Jayaraj
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.