Why lung inflammation stays active in cystic fibrosis
Official title: Mechanisms of Impaired Inflammation Resolution in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11318977 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at immune cells in people with cystic fibrosis to understand why lung inflammation keeps going even after CFTR medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $556,865 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL174700-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11318977 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cystic fibrosis who can provide lung samples (for example during bronchoscopy or sputum collection), including those on CFTR modulator therapy, would be the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without cystic fibrosis or whose lung problems are caused by things other than macrophage-driven inflammation are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will collect lung immune cells (macrophages) from people with cystic fibrosis and compare them to cells from people without CF. They will look at two macrophage subtypes (CD169+ and CD169-) and measure a regulator called Nrf2, along with cell metabolism and inflammatory signals. The team will study how tiny particles released by macrophages (extracellular vesicles) influence other lung immune cells and whether these interactions fail to switch off inflammation. Some samples will come from people taking highly effective CFTR modulators to see if those drugs change macrophage behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce chronic lung inflammation and slow lung damage in people with cystic fibrosis.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies have shown that changing macrophage metabolism or boosting Nrf2 can reduce inflammation in models, but applying these ideas to human CF lung macrophages is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ashare, Alix — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Ashare, Alix
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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.