Understanding and treating chronic graft-versus-host disease and its lung form, bronchiolitis obliterans
Official title: Mechanisms and Therapy of Chronic Graft-vs.-Host Disease
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11174465 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project works to find new treatments that block immune and metabolic drivers of chronic GVHD and bronchiolitis obliterans in people after allogeneic stem cell transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,563,941 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL158505-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174465 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have had an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and have chronic GVHD, especially those with lung involvement (BOS) or high risk for BOS.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of allogeneic transplant or those with end-stage, irreversible lung scarring are unlikely to benefit from these approaches.
What this research studies
You would be part of research aimed at why the immune system fails to tolerate donor cells after a transplant and how that leads to chronic GVHD and lung damage called BOS. Researchers will study patient blood and tissue samples alongside lab and animal work to look at T cell behavior and metabolism. They will test therapies that target those immune and metabolic pathways to try to stop inflammation and scarring in small airways. If eligible, you might be asked to give samples, have lung tests, or be offered experimental treatments at Dana-Farber or partner sites.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reduce or prevent progressive lung damage from BOS and lower long-term illness and deaths after transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Some drugs have shown benefit for cGVHD in prior trials, but targeting T-cell metabolism and specifically preventing or reversing BOS is a newer and less-tested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cutler, Corey S — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Cutler, Corey S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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ChronicGVHD: How it happens and new ways to treat it
A large NIH grant is funding research on chronic graft-versus-host disease after stem cell transplant, with a focus on the lungs and other organs, to improve outcomes for patients.
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Propagation of GVHD through CD4+ T-cell recognition of gut bacteria
Researchers are studying how a patient’s immune cells recognize gut bacteria after stem cell transplant to better understand and manage graft-versus-host disease.
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How donor DNA affects immune responses in blood stem cell transplants
This study is looking at how changes in donor DNA can help improve the success of stem cell transplants by boosting the body's ability to fight cancer while lowering the chances of complications, and it's aimed at helping patients who are getting these transplants.
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How donor DNA affects immune responses in blood stem cell transplants
This study is looking at how changes in DNA from donor cells can affect the immune system during stem cell transplants, with the goal of finding better ways to help patients with serious cancers avoid complications while still fighting the disease.
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Understanding and treating chronic graft-versus-host disease
This study is looking at how chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) affects the lungs after a stem cell transplant, and it aims to find new ways to help patients by understanding the immune cells involved in this condition.
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Understanding how Galectin-3 affects Graft vs. Host Disease and Graft vs. Tumor responses
This study is looking at how a protein called Galectin-3 affects the immune responses in patients who have received a stem cell transplant, with the hope of finding ways to reduce complications like Graft vs. Host Disease and improve recovery.
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.