New approach to calm the airways in therapy-resistant asthma
Official title: A Novel Approach to Target Neutrophilic Airway Inflammation and Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Therapy-Resistant (Refractory) Asthma.
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11365831 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new small-molecule treatment targeting p63RhoGEF could reduce airway tightness and inflammation in people with asthma that doesn’t respond well to standard therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Creighton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $373,614 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164593-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365831 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with refractory asthma who have persistent symptoms despite high-dose corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose asthma is not driven by the p63RhoGEF pathway or who do not respond to CXN-8 may not experience benefits.
What this research studies
This grant explores how p63RhoGEF drives airway smooth muscle overreaction and Th17-driven neutrophilic inflammation in hard-to-treat asthma, and tests CXN-8 as a potential therapy to relax airway muscles and lessen inflammation. The researchers use mouse models to study how CXN-8 blocks the p63RhoGEF–RhoA pathway and whether this reduces airway hyperresponsiveness. If successful, the work could pave the way for a new treatment option for patients whose asthma remains uncontrolled despite high-dose steroids and bronchodilators. The long-term aim is to translate these findings into a therapy that improves breathing and quality of life for affected individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If CXN-8 works, patients with refractory asthma could experience better air flow and fewer symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows the p63RhoGEF–RhoA pathway contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness and that CXN-8 can relax airway smooth muscle in models; human data are needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tu, Yaping — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Tu, Yaping
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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.