Targeted nanovesicle treatment for inflamed lungs

Active Drug Loading to Nanovesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery

NIH-funded research State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11146790

Neutrophil-derived nanovesicles are being used to carry medicines straight to inflamed lungs to help people with acute lung injury or ARDS.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionState University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Amherst, United States)
Project IDNIH-11146790 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project uses tiny vesicles made from neutrophil cell membranes to deliver drugs directly to inflamed lung blood vessels. Researchers test the approach in mouse models of bacterial lung infection and LPS-induced lung injury to mimic acute lung injury and ARDS. They track where the vesicles go using live imaging and measure whether targeted delivery reduces vascular inflammation and neutrophil infiltration in the lungs. The goal is to show whether this delivery system can better control lung inflammation compared with untargeted treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who develop acute lung injury or ARDS from severe bacterial pneumonia or other causes of acute inflammatory lung failure would be the likely candidates for future trials.

Not a fit: Patients with non-inflammatory causes of breathing problems or chronic lung diseases not driven by vascular inflammation are unlikely to benefit from this specific targeted inflammatory strategy.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce harmful lung inflammation and lead to new targeted treatments that lower complications and deaths from acute lung injury and ARDS.

How similar studies have performed: Nanoparticle and membrane-derived vesicle delivery has shown promise in animal studies, but neutrophil-membrane nanovesicles are a newer approach with limited prior human testing.

Where this research is happening

Amherst, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.