Telomere problems in lung repair cells that lead to scarring.
Lung Remodeling Mediated by Telomere Dysfunction in Alveolar Type II Cells
Looks at whether damage to telomeres (the protective ends of DNA) in lung repair cells causes scarring in adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11292386 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone affected by lung scarring, the researchers use a new mouse model where only the lung 'repair' cells (alveolar type II cells) have telomere damage so they can watch how scarring starts. They will remove a gene called p53 in some mice to see if that change controls how those cells transform and contribute to fibrosis. The team will read each cell's gene activity using single-cell RNA sequencing to map how cell types change during remodeling. The goal is to mirror early events in human IPF to find cellular steps or signals we might be able to target to stop or slow scarring.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or known short-telomere genetic disorders would find this research most relevant.
Not a fit: People without pulmonary fibrosis or those with lung disease caused primarily by infection or smoking-related COPD are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal why lung scarring begins in IPF and point to new targets for treatments that might slow or prevent fibrosis.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies linked telomere dysfunction to IPF but used less specific mouse approaches, so this targeted telomere-only model is relatively novel and not yet proven to lead to therapies.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wolters, Paul J — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Wolters, Paul J
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 below.