Understanding how inflammation and scarring develop in pulmonary sarcoidosis
Official title: Uncovering the Inflammatory-Fibrotic Axis in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11419620 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A doctor-scientist is studying why some people with sarcoidosis develop dangerous lung scarring and how to prevent it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $173,480 |
| NIH project number | 5K08HL177337-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419620 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with advanced pulmonary sarcoidosis with or without fibrosis, who can provide blood samples for cellular analysis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without APSF or those unable to give blood samples may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This grant supports a clinician-scientist who will study immune cells in people with advanced pulmonary sarcoidosis-related fibrosis. They will use advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and protein profiling to map how circulating monocytes and T cells may drive inflammation and fibrosis. The goal is to identify key regulatory signals that could be targeted by future therapies to slow or stop lung scarring. The work combines prior knowledge of sarcoidosis with lessons from fibrotic lung diseases to understand APSF mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could point to new therapeutic targets to prevent or reduce lung fibrosis in sarcoidosis.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data in sarcoidosis suggest circulating immune cells influence disease activity, but this specific APSF-focused mechanism is still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vagts, Christen — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Vagts, Christen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Integrative metabolomics to improve sarcoidosis diagnosis and prognosis
A research project from UCLA aims to find blood-based biomarkers that help diagnose sarcoidosis earlier and predict how it will progress, especially in African American women.
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Predicting Lung Health in Sarcoidosis with Vitamin D Metabolism
Aging individuals with sarcoidosis, especially Black/African American women, may benefit from a clearer plan that uses vitamin D biology to predict and improve lung health.
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Peptide-based Diagnostic Test for Sarcoidosis
A new test using peptide-based ELISA is being developed to diagnose sarcoidosis, potentially reducing the need for invasive lung biopsies.
-
Molecular markers of progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis
This grant looks at proteins and genes in people with sarcoidosis to find early signs that the disease will worsen from the lungs.
-
Advanced imaging to monitor immune-suppressant therapy in active cardiac sarcoidosis
A patient-focused imaging study to see how MRI and PET 18F-FDG can track how well immune-suppressant treatment is working for active cardiac sarcoidosis.
-
Understanding why sarcoidosis happens and how it affects people using multi-omics
A multi-omics study aims to uncover why sarcoidosis affects people differently and to find biomarkers that predict disease burden.
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.