Understanding how the CF gene affects early lung development using lab-grown 3-D lung organoids
Official title: Leveraging a lung organoid model to study early cystic fibrosis lung disease
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11288957 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses 3-D lab-grown lung models to see how CFTR problems affect early lung development so treatments for babies and children with cystic fibrosis can be improved.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $168,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R03TR005349-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11288957 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Findings are most relevant to people with cystic fibrosis and families considering early or prenatal treatment, especially infants and young children.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cystic fibrosis or those with advanced, established lung damage are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-based research in the short term.
What this research studies
Researchers are growing three-dimensional lung organoids that mimic early fetal lung branching and alveolar formation. They will compare organoids with and without the CFTR genetic defect to measure CFTR gene activity, protein function, and early inflammatory changes. The team will map gene and protein changes over time (transcriptome and proteome) and connect those changes to early signs of lung injury. Because fetal lung tissue is scarce, these organoids provide a lab-based way to model how cystic fibrosis starts before symptoms appear.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could indicate when and how early or prenatal treatments might delay or prevent lung disease in people with cystic fibrosis.
How similar studies have gone: CFTR modulator drugs have improved lung health in older children and adults and organoid models have been useful in lab research, but using 3-D lung organoids to study fetal CF development is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Januska, Megan — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Januska, Megan
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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.