Using systems biology to understand severe community-acquired pneumonia
Official title: Systems Biology Modeling of Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11248062 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project analyzes patients' lung and blood samples with advanced lab tests and computer models to find biological patterns that can help guide treatment for people with severe pneumonia, including COVID-related cases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | January 17, 2018 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $393,834 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI135964-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11248062 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults hospitalized with severe community-acquired pneumonia or COVID-associated pneumonia, especially those in intensive care or on mechanical ventilation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild outpatient pneumonia, non-infectious lung conditions, or children may not directly benefit from this adult ICU-focused research.
What this research studies
From the patient's perspective, researchers collect timed samples from the lungs and blood of people hospitalized with severe pneumonia, often requiring mechanical ventilation. They run multi-omics tests, including single-cell RNA sequencing, and analyze proteins and other biological markers from these samples. Then they apply machine learning and systems biology models to identify distinct clinical states and biological pathways linked to better or worse outcomes. The team will expand an existing dataset from the SCRIPT center and use those insights to inform future treatments and clinical trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors match patients to treatments earlier and reduce deaths and complications from severe pneumonia.
How similar studies have gone: The original SCRIPT work helped lead to a trial of Auxora that showed a 53% reduction in 30-day mortality, showing prior success with this systems biology approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wunderink, Richard G — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Wunderink, Richard G
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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.