PET imaging to find and track harmful lung inflammation via CMKLR1
Official title: CMKLR1-Targeted Molecular Imaging of Inflammation as a Precision Medicine Tool in Acute Lung Injury and Fibrotic Lung Diseases
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11181300 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new PET scan tracer that targets CMKLR1 is being developed to find and track harmful lung inflammation in people with acute lung injury, ARDS, and fibrotic lung diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $604,189 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL166953-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181300 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with acute lung injury, ARDS, or fibrotic lung disease (including post-COVID-19 lung damage) would be the likely candidates for future imaging using this tracer.
✕Less likely to help
People without lung inflammation or with unrelated medical problems are unlikely to benefit from this imaging approach.
What this research studies
This project develops a PET imaging tracer that binds the CMKLR1 receptor, which is increased on inflammatory cells that drive lung fibrosis. Researchers will test the tracer in animal models of acute lung injury and fibrosis to measure lung inflammation and response to therapies. They will also examine CMKLR1 levels in lung tissue from people with COVID-19 and various fibrotic lung diseases compared with healthy controls to understand clinical relevance. The goal is to create a noninvasive imaging tool that could predict who will worsen and show early treatment effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give doctors a noninvasive way to see and measure lung inflammation to guide treatment choices and predict disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Early animal data show increased lung uptake of the new tracer, but CMKLR1-targeted PET is a novel approach with limited prior use in human fibrotic lung disease.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tavakoli, Sina — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Tavakoli, Sina
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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.