New ways to reduce heart damage from pneumonia infections
Official title: Novel strategies to mitigate cardiac damage and dysfunction following invasive pneumococcal disease
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11094885 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how pneumonia from a specific bacteria can cause heart issues in adults, and it aims to find ways to protect the heart and help people recover better after pneumonia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | May 25, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $645,107 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171136-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094885 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults who have been hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia and are at risk for heart complications.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not been hospitalized for pneumonia or those with pre-existing severe heart conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how pneumonia, specifically caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, can lead to serious heart problems in adults. It aims to identify strategies to reduce cardiac damage and dysfunction that often follow pneumonia infections. By studying the body's inflammatory response and signaling pathways involved in heart injury, the research seeks to develop potential treatments that could improve heart health in patients recovering from pneumonia. The approach includes both laboratory studies and potential clinical applications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that protect the heart from damage during and after pneumonia infections.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been significant research on pneumonia's effects on the respiratory system, this specific focus on cardiac damage is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lal, Hind — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Lal, Hind
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.