Personalized prevention and care for obstructive sleep apnea
Developing a P4 Medicine Approach to Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This program uses genetics, imaging, and blood-based microRNA markers to better predict who will get obstructive sleep apnea and to tailor prevention and treatment for people with or at risk for OSA.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184351 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, this program combines four linked projects and shared support cores to find why some people develop OSA and how to prevent or personalize care. One project looks for common and rare gene changes tied to airway anatomy and fat around the tongue using CT/MR scans and genetic data. Another project measures tiny circulating microRNAs in blood that change with low oxygen and may act as early biomarkers. The team uses machine learning to pull measurements from routine images and aims to combine genetic, imaging, and molecular data into tools that could guide personalized care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with diagnosed OSA, people who snore or have symptoms suggesting OSA, or those with a family history who are willing to provide blood, genetic information, and imaging data.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo CT/MRI, who are unwilling to provide blood or genetic samples, or whose OSA is driven by causes not captured by genetics, anatomy, or microRNA signals may not benefit directly from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify people at higher risk earlier and guide more tailored prevention and treatment choices for OSA.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has linked genes, craniofacial anatomy, and biomarkers to OSA risk and shown promising signals, but combining genetics, imaging-derived traits, and microRNA into a unified P4 approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pack, Allan I — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Pack, Allan I
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.