Residential bioaerosol exposure and lung disease in sarcoidosis
Official title: The Role of Residential Bioaerosol Exposure in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11271247 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-facing study exploring how the air inside homes might affect lung health for people with sarcoidosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $783,781 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL182922-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11271247 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with sarcoidosis who live in urban or rural settings and have varying degrees of lung involvement.
✕Less likely to help
People without sarcoidosis or those not living in affected homes may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
Sarcoidosis is a serious inflammatory disease that often affects the lungs. This grant will look at what people breathe in at home and how it relates to lung symptoms, imaging, and function. Researchers will collect home air samples and use laboratory methods to understand the components of residential bioaerosol and how they correlate with patients’ health data. The study includes urban and rural participants to see if living environments change risk. Findings could point to new ways to manage or prevent progression of lung disease in sarcoidosis patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to guidance on reducing home exposures that worsen lung disease in sarcoidosis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests environmental factors can influence sarcoidosis, but this study directly links residential bioaerosol to clinical features.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gerke, Alicia — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Gerke, Alicia
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Integrative metabolomics to improve sarcoidosis diagnosis and prognosis
A research project from UCLA aims to find blood-based biomarkers that help diagnose sarcoidosis earlier and predict how it will progress, especially in African American women.
-
Predicting Lung Health in Sarcoidosis with Vitamin D Metabolism
Aging individuals with sarcoidosis, especially Black/African American women, may benefit from a clearer plan that uses vitamin D biology to predict and improve lung health.
-
Understanding how inflammation and scarring develop in pulmonary sarcoidosis
A doctor-scientist is studying why some people with sarcoidosis develop dangerous lung scarring and how to prevent it.
-
Peptide-based Diagnostic Test for Sarcoidosis
A new test using peptide-based ELISA is being developed to diagnose sarcoidosis, potentially reducing the need for invasive lung biopsies.
-
Molecular markers of progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis
This grant looks at proteins and genes in people with sarcoidosis to find early signs that the disease will worsen from the lungs.
-
Advanced imaging to monitor immune-suppressant therapy in active cardiac sarcoidosis
A patient-focused imaging study to see how MRI and PET 18F-FDG can track how well immune-suppressant treatment is working for active cardiac sarcoidosis.
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.