Mapping how the lung’s tiny blood–air barrier becomes leaky in ARDS
Applying Innovative Lung Mapping Strategies to Understand Alveolar Capillary Barrier Permeability in ARDS
Using detailed lung mapping and single-cell gene analysis to find new molecular targets that could lead to better treatments for people with ARDS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11142970 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program will analyze lung tissue at very high resolution to see which cells and molecules are involved when the alveolar capillary barrier leaks in ARDS. Researchers will use imaging mass spectrometry to map molecules in lung samples and single-cell gene profiling to see which cell types change during injury. Advanced statistical methods will combine these datasets to highlight promising molecular targets. Those targets will then be tested in laboratory models to learn whether they could be developed into therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults who have or recently had ARDS and who can provide consent to donate lung tissue or other biological samples or to be followed for related observational studies.
Not a fit: People without ARDS or those with unrelated chronic lung conditions are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this primarily laboratory-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets that reduce lung injury, improve recovery, and lower deaths from ARDS.
How similar studies have performed: Combining imaging mass spectrometry and single-cell profiling is a relatively new approach that has produced promising molecular leads in lung research, but direct translation to ARDS treatments is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bastarache, Julie a. — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Bastarache, Julie a.
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.