Rebuilding natural signaling in vascularized whole-lung scaffolds
Reconstructing native soluble cues in vascularized whole lung scaffolds
This project recreates the natural chemical signals that support tiny lung blood vessels to build realistic lab-grown lungs for studying and developing therapies for adults with ARDS and other lung blood-vessel diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144397 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use donated whole lungs cleared of cells but preserving the original blood-vessel framework, then add back the natural soluble factors that help lung microvessels mature and function. They will use single-cell RNA sequencing data to pinpoint which local signaling molecules matter most and then test those factors in the acellular lung scaffolds while applying normal and inflammatory conditions like sepsis or ARDS. The platform is designed to mimic human pulmonary microvasculature so scientists can observe endothelial behavior, capillary leak, and responses to candidate drugs in a more realistic setting.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) with ARDS or other severe lung vascular injury, or adults willing to donate lungs or lung tissue for research, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Because this is a lab-model development project, people needing immediate clinical treatment or children (under 21) are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a realistic human lung model to speed testing of treatments and improve understanding of ARDS and other lung vascular diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Whole-organ decellularized lung scaffolds and single-cell sequencing have been used separately before, but combining them to restore native soluble signals in vascularized lung scaffolds is a novel approach still in early-stage testing.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yuan, Yifan — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Yuan, Yifan
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.