Personalized care for severe lung failure (ARDS) and sepsis
Official title: Advancing Precision Medicine for ARDS and Sepsis
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11310714 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses blood markers and routine clinical information to match treatments to people with ARDS or sepsis so each person gets the care most likely to help them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2032 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,124,681 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL177135-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310714 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people hospitalized with sepsis or ARDS in the ICU who can provide clinical data and blood samples for testing.
✕Less likely to help
People without sepsis or ARDS, or those who cannot provide blood samples or clinical data, are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers have found two biological subtypes of ARDS and sepsis, called hyperinflammatory and hypoinflammatory, that behave differently and respond differently to treatments. This work uses patients' clinical data and blood protein tests to identify those subtypes and refine quick tests doctors could use at the bedside. The team will study existing patient samples and clinical records and link those biological signatures to responses to therapies like fluids, ventilation strategies, statins, and corticosteroids. The aim is to give ICU doctors clearer guidance so patients receive treatments tailored to their body's specific response pattern.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help doctors pick treatments that lower the risk of death and improve recovery for people with ARDS or sepsis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has repeatedly identified the hyperinflammatory and hypoinflammatory subtypes and shown they respond differently to several therapies, though routine bedside use of these signatures is still being developed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Calfee, Carolyn — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Calfee, Carolyn
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Coordinating ARDS, Pneumonia, and Sepsis research to improve care
A national coordinating center helps researchers studying ARDS and related infections work together more efficiently to learn what helps patients recover.
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Innovative immune therapy with antibiotics to treat deadly inflammation in sepsis and ARDS in older adults
A new approach combines an antibiotic strategy with a special immune-based treatment to help older patients who have sepsis or ARDS from severe bacterial infection.
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A new immune-blocking therapy plus antibiotics for severe sepsis and ARDS in older adults
This project is trying a treatment that restores a natural TREM1 blocker together with antibiotics to help older adults with life-threatening bacterial sepsis or ARDS.
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Understanding ARDS, pneumonia, and sepsis: a big study to map how illness and recovery unfold
A large patient study at the University of Pennsylvania will follow adults with ARDS, pneumonia, or sepsis to learn how these conditions progress and recover over time.
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Coordination and data sharing for ARDS, pneumonia, and sepsis research
A national collaborative effort to improve how researchers study ARDS, pneumonia, and sepsis by coordinating centers, data collection, and analyses.
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Molecular profiling of ARDS, pneumonia, and sepsis in adults using advanced sequencing
A research team at four California hospitals will study adults with ARDS, pneumonia, or sepsis to identify molecular patterns in their illness using genetic sequencing.
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.