Understanding why some people with severe lung injury get worse and how to tailor therapy
Official title: Investigating Individual Susceptibility and Host Response in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11401781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-focused program that looks at why people develop sepsis-associated ARDS and how their bodies respond, with the goal of guiding better, personalized treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 19, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $955,499 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL161196-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401781 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with sepsis or ARDS who are being treated in intensive care units and who have contributed biosamples or data to the research program.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not meeting the study's focus or those not connected to the phenotyped cohort may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This program pursues translational research to map individual risk factors and immune responses in sepsis-associated ARDS using patient samples and genomic data. Researchers will study how different molecular traits affect response to therapies, using a well-characterized cohort of critically ill patients and stored biosamples collected over time. The goal is to identify markers that predict who might benefit from specific treatments and to translate these findings toward improved care for ARDS patients. The work builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 era to advance targeted approaches in the ICU setting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to more personalized ARDS treatments and better survival for patients at risk of or suffering from sepsis-related ARDS.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown that molecular profiling can reveal patient subtypes and guide therapy in critical illness, with ongoing translational work building on these insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meyer, Nuala Jennings — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Meyer, Nuala Jennings
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Identifying ARDS patients who may benefit from paralytics guided by high-frequency clinical data
This grant aims to help doctors figure out which adults with ARDS are most likely to benefit from paralytic medications using detailed bedside data and electronic health records.
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Resilience endotypes and early ARDS detection using biomarkers and AI
A Duke University team is using biomarkers and smart data analysis to detect ARDS early and uncover patterns that predict how patients recover.
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PAR1’s role in lung lymphatics and a new therapy approach for ARDS
This grant explores how the thrombin receptor PAR1 affects lung lymphatics to understand and ultimately reduce lung injury in ARDS patients.
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Dead space and inhaled nitric oxide in pediatric ARDS
This project looks at whether measuring dead space and using inhaled nitric oxide can help improve outcomes for children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Immune, hormone, and muscle energy links to recovery after ARDS
This project looks at why some ARDS survivors have ongoing weakness and how immune, hormone, and muscle energy factors might influence recovery.</n>
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Imaging the Pulmonary Circulation to Personalize ARDS Care
A patient-focused look at using advanced imaging to understand lung blood flow in ARDS so doctors can tailor treatments.
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.