Recombinant hemopexin for treating lung injury
Official title: Recombinant hemopexin for the treatment of acute and chronic lung injury
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11550881 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new plant-produced hemopexin therapy is being tested to help reduce acute and chronic lung injury after dangerous gas exposure in animal studies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | June 25, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $43,200 |
| NIH project number | 3R61HL179700-01A1S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11550881 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with acute lung injury or ARDS in future trials, or those at risk of chemical-induced lung injury, pending safe translation to humans.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage animal studies may not yet translate to direct benefit for patients.
What this research studies
This project aims to create plant-made human hemopexin, confirm its structure and ability to bind heme, and study how long it stays in the body after injection. It will then test whether giving this therapy after chlorine gas exposure can lessen lung injury in mice and rabbits, tracking outcomes at multiple time points. The researchers will measure lung injury markers, survival, and immune response, using pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and proteomic analyses to understand effects. If successful, this work could pave the way for a new treatment to protect lungs after environmental or chemical injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients at risk of chlorine-induced or other acute lung injuries could have a new therapeutic option to reduce damage and improve recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research in similar proteins and heme-scavenging approaches has shown protective effects in lung injury models, but human applicability requires further studies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Matalon, Sadis — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Matalon, Sadis
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.