Perivascular macrophages and lung blood vessel repair after severe lung injury

Perivascular macrophages - a new player in regulating endothelial repair following lung vascular injury

NIH-funded research University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11303456

Looks at whether immune cells called perivascular macrophages and tiny particles they release can help repair damaged lung blood vessels in adults with ARDS.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11303456 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The team will use advanced live imaging in mouse lungs to watch how perivascular macrophages and blood vessel cells interact after lung injury. They will remove these macrophages genetically to see if loss of the cells slows repair, and they will transfer extra macrophages into injured lungs to see if adding them speeds healing. Researchers will analyze tiny vesicles called exosomes and a molecule called glutaminase that these macrophages may use to communicate with endothelial cells. The findings are intended to point toward new ways to boost blood-vessel healing in ARDS.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with ARDS or severe acute lung injury treated in hospitals would be the likely candidates for any future therapies developed from this research.

Not a fit: Patients with chronic non-vascular lung diseases, stable chronic respiratory conditions, or those needing immediate bedside treatments may not benefit directly from this early-stage laboratory research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that speed repair of lung blood vessels, reduce fluid leakage into the lungs, and improve recovery from ARDS.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show some macrophage types can support tissue repair, but focusing on perivascular macrophages, their exosomes, and glutaminase for lung endothelial repair is a novel approach.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acute Lung InjuryAcute Pulmonary InjuryAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.