Using patient-specific cells to understand and treat pulmonary fibrosis
Official title: Patient-specific iPSCs to model and treat the inception of pulmonary fibrosis
Funded at Boston University Medical Campus · NIH-11046624 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to understand how certain lung cells behave poorly and how things like cigarette smoke might make it worse, with the hope of finding new treatments to help people with this serious lung disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $427,602 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL170952-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11046624 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or those at risk due to environmental exposures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other forms of lung disease unrelated to pulmonary fibrosis may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a severe lung disease that leads to progressive scarring and can be fatal within a few years. By utilizing patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the study aims to model the disease and investigate the role of dysfunctional alveolar epithelial cells in its progression. The researchers will explore how environmental factors, like cigarette smoke, contribute to cell dysfunction and whether these effects can be reversed. This approach seeks to provide insights that could lead to new therapies for IPF.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that significantly improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research using patient-specific cells has shown promise in understanding and treating various diseases, suggesting potential success for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University Medical Campus
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alysandratos, Konstantinos — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Alysandratos, Konstantinos
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Molecular clues to progressive lung scarring
Researchers are studying how lung tissue becomes progressively scarred, focusing on cell signals and receptors that may drive fibrosis in people with lung disease.
-
Alveolar Cell Dysfunction in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Using SFTPC Mutations to Find New Targets
This grant explores how rare SFTPC mutations in alveolar cells may drive IPF and seeks new molecular targets to improve treatment.
-
Iron and scar-forming cells in the lungs (IPF)
Researchers are exploring how iron in the lungs may drive the scarring seen in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and whether this could lead to new therapies.
-
Repurposing Pyrvinium as an Inhaled Therapy for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
A patient-friendly look at a project trying to use an existing drug, pyrvinium, as an inhaled treatment option for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
-
Screening new compounds to reverse gene signatures in IPF lungs
A researcher hopes to find compounds that reverse harmful gene changes in the lungs of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
-
Role of lactate transporters in lung scarring
Aims to see if blocking lactate transporters can slow or stop scar-forming cells from thickening the lungs in people with fibrotic lung disease.
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.