Mitochondria problems in lung blood vessel cells that drive inflammation
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Endothelium as a Mediator of Inflammatory Injury
This project looks at how damaged mitochondria in the cells that line lung blood vessels affect lung inflammation and recovery for people with inflammatory lung injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167461 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the team studies how mitochondria in the cells lining lung blood vessels get injured during inflammation and how those cells clear damaged mitochondria (mitophagy). They will use lab-grown cells, specialized mitochondria biosensors, and animal models to watch mitophagy and the rebuilding of healthy mitochondria in real time. The researchers will also test how signals from endothelial mitophagy change neutrophil behavior and overall lung inflammation. The goal is to connect these basic findings to ways to protect blood-vessel cells and improve recovery after inflammatory lung injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have or recently recovered from inflammatory lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) would be the most relevant to this research, although much of the work is laboratory-based rather than a patient treatment trial.
Not a fit: People without lung inflammation or whose problems are purely non-inflammatory chronic lung conditions are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect lung blood-vessel cells, reduce harmful inflammation, and improve healing after acute lung injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and animal studies have linked endothelial mitochondrial damage to worse lung inflammation, but targeting mitophagy as a therapy is still largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rehman, Jalees — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Rehman, Jalees
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.