Rare bronchiectasis diseases: faster therapies for four rare lung conditions
Official title: Rare Bronchiectatic Diseases Consortium
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11614472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide effort is studying four rare lung diseases that cause bronchiectasis to speed up the discovery of better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $119,317 |
| NIH project number | 3U54HL185005-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11614472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals diagnosed with one of the four specified bronchiectatic diseases who can participate in observational studies and biomarker research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without these rare conditions or without access to the participating sites may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Four rare bronchiectatic diseases—primary ciliary dyskinesia, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, humoral immune deficiency, and STAT3-HIES—cause persistent lung damage and infections. The project aims to uncover disease trajectories and biological markers using new observational studies and a refreshed “Vicious Vortex 2.0” model to guide drug discovery. Researchers plan to partner with patient advocacy groups and industry to accelerate therapeutic development and create a pipeline of rare-disease investigators. The work will include analyzing clinical data, collecting meaningful biomarkers, and conducting ancillary studies. The goal is to shorten the time from discovery to effective treatments for these patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with these rare bronchiectatic diseases could gain faster access to targeted therapies and better disease management.
How similar studies have gone: Previous bronchiectasis research has advanced understanding but has struggled to translate into therapies for these rare forms; this project seeks to accelerate that translation.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olivier, Kenneth N. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Olivier, Kenneth N.
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.