Tracking immune responses in children's lungs and blood over time
Longitudinal Analysis of Blood and Airway Immune Response: Precision Medicine for
This project follows intubated children with or at risk for pediatric ARDS to link dying immune cells in blood and airways with lung injury and recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257999 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You or your child would have small blood and airway samples collected repeatedly while in the ICU if intubated with or at risk for PARDS. Researchers will measure how neutrophils die, look for neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and run metabolomics and gene-expression tests on those samples. They will compare molecular patterns over time with clinical outcomes like worsening oxygen needs, new disability at discharge, or recovery. The team aims to find markers that predict which children will get sicker and to point toward treatments that limit immune-driven lung damage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children (infants through school age) who are intubated with confirmed PARDS or are at high risk for developing PARDS and are receiving care at participating hospitals.
Not a fit: Children without respiratory failure, older adults, or patients not treated at participating centers are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify markers to predict which children will worsen and suggest targets to reduce neutrophil-driven lung injury.
How similar studies have performed: Prior adult and smaller pediatric studies have linked neutrophils and NETs to lung injury, but this longitudinal, multi-omic approach in intubated children is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grunwell, Jocelyn Rebecca — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Grunwell, Jocelyn Rebecca
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.