Understanding donor lung injury after lung transplant
Official title: Immunogenomic analysis of donor lung injury and its impact on clinical outcomes after lung transplantation
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11139492 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks for hidden signs of injury in donor lungs to help more lung transplant patients have better outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $730,302 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL160551-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11139492 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is most relevant to individuals who are awaiting or have recently received a lung transplant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not candidates for lung transplantation would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
After a lung transplant, some donor lungs develop severe injury, which can lead to serious problems or even death for the patient. We believe there might be subtle, hidden injuries in donor lungs that make them more susceptible to damage once transplanted. This project aims to discover these early signs of injury by studying specific biological markers, such as cell-free DNA, and how they contribute to inflammation. Our goal is to better understand these processes so we can identify at-risk lungs and improve long-term success for transplant recipients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to identify donor lungs at risk and improve the health and survival of lung transplant patients.
How similar studies have gone: While cell-free DNA has been identified as a biomarker for lung injury, this specific approach to understanding its role in subclinical donor lung injury and inflammation pathways is a new area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shaver, Ciara M — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Shaver, Ciara M
Related research
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-
Complement inhibition to protect transplanted lungs from early injury
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-
Phase 1 trial of siltuximab for antibody-mediated rejection after lung transplant
A early-stage study tests whether siltuximab can help people who have antibody-mediated rejection after lung transplantation.
-
Targeted delivery of immune-suppressing agents to the lung graft to prevent rejection
A study at Northwestern University will test a new, targeted approach to prevent lung transplant rejection by delivering immune-suppressing drugs directly to the graft while blocking early signals that trigger rejection.
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.