Systemic sclerosis-related lung disease: who’s at risk and what blood markers hint at it
Official title: Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease Risk Factors, Prediction, and Plasma Biomarker Evaluation
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11300699 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A dedicated research grant asks how to identify which people with systemic sclerosis will develop interstitial lung disease and which blood biomarkers can signal that risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $166,520 |
| NIH project number | 1K08HL177164-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300699 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with systemic sclerosis who have existing electronic health records and available patient samples for biomarker analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without systemic sclerosis or without access to the study’s linked health records and biorepository would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a large, well-documented patient database from electronic health records and stored biological samples to look for patterns that predict the onset of interstitial lung disease in people with systemic sclerosis. It aims to map risk factors over time, examine autoantibody profiles, and explore circulating biomarkers that could signal early lung involvement. The findings could lead to earlier monitoring, personalized risk plans, and potentially targeted therapies to slow or prevent lung disease. The work is grounded in real patient data and involves collaboration with a major hospital liver and lung research program to translate results into clinical practice.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with systemic sclerosis could benefit from earlier prediction and targeted monitoring for lung disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that certain age patterns, ER visit frequency, and autoantibodies relate to lung involvement, supporting the potential for meaningful findings here.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tukpah, Ann-Marcia C — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Tukpah, Ann-Marcia C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Risk factors and biomarkers for progression of subclinical RA-related lung disease
This study follows people with rheumatoid arthritis to understand who develops lung disease and what biomarkers predict it.
-
Understanding how a cell protein (SLC9A1) drives skin and lung scarring in systemic sclerosis
A five-year NIH grant aims to understand how a specific cell protein called SLC9A1 influences scar-forming cells in systemic sclerosis and related lung disease, with the goal of finding possible therapies.
-
From proteins and genes to new treatments for scar-related lung disease
A large NIH grant is working to map the proteins in the lungs of people with systemic sclerosis to find new targets for drugs that could slow or stop lung fibrosis.
-
Vasculopathy in Systemic Sclerosis and Lung Disease in Adults
A study in adults with systemic sclerosis will look at how blood vessels in the lungs and body relate to the development of lung disease, with the aim of finding new ways to prevent it.
-
Functional markers to guide treatment in systemic sclerosis–related lung disease
A research grant at USC is studying blood biomarkers that show whether medicines are helping people with systemic sclerosis–related interstitial lung disease.
-
New treatments for lung scarring in systemic sclerosis
This project looks for new drug targets and therapies to help people with systemic sclerosis who have scarring in their lungs.
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.