Spleen monocytes that drive early lung damage after transplant
Official title: Role of spleen educated monocytes in mediating ischemia-reperfusion injury following lung transplant surgery
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11377369 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether monocytes released from the spleen trigger the inflammation that causes early lung injury in people after a lung transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $751,662 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL147575-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377369 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for any future therapies from this work would be adults receiving lung transplants who are at high risk for primary graft dysfunction.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-transplant lung disease or those who are not undergoing lung transplantation are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
After a lung transplant, many patients develop early graft injury when white blood cells called neutrophils flood the new lung and release damaging webs (NETs). The team is tracing how donor lung monocytes and recipient monocytes stored in the spleen talk to lung immune cells and attract these neutrophils. Using laboratory models and analysis of transplant lungs and immune signals (like CXCL12 and IL-1β), they will map the steps that let neutrophils cross into the airspaces and cause damage. By identifying the key cells and signals, the researchers aim to point to safer ways to prevent early injury without impairing infection-fighting cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent early graft failure after lung transplant and reduce both short-term deaths and long-term rejection.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and translational studies indicate that targeting neutrophils or monocyte-related signals can reduce transplant injury, but the specific spleen-to-lung signaling pathway is a newer idea under active study.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bharat, Ankit — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Bharat, Ankit
Related research
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The Post-Lung Transplant Aging in Immune Cells in Donor Lungs
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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.