Why lung lining cells change in pulmonary fibrosis
Project 3: Functional Genomic Mechanisms of Epithelial Dysfunction in Pulmonary Fibrosis
['FUNDING_P01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · NIH-11193825
This project looks at early genetic and cellular changes in the lung lining of people at risk for familial pulmonary fibrosis to find signs that appear before scarring shows up on scans.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_P01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11193825 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would be part of work that uses small transbronchial lung biopsies from people at high genetic risk for familial pulmonary fibrosis and reads gene activity and DNA accessibility in individual cells. Researchers will apply single-cell and single-nucleus multiomic sequencing (RNA+ATAC) to map how epithelial cells and other lung cells change during the earliest stages of disease. They will compare these early samples to later-stage fibrotic lungs and to controls to find genetic variants that change gene activity specifically in diseased lungs, called disease-interacting sc-eQTL. The team aims to identify molecular switches and early markers that could show who is starting to develop fibrosis before it appears on CT scans.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people enrolled in or eligible for the At-Risk for Familial Pulmonary Fibrosis cohort—especially those with a family history or genetic risk who can undergo bronchoscopic biopsy and follow-up.
Not a fit: People without a family history or genetic risk for familial pulmonary fibrosis, those with unrelated lung diseases, or those unable/unwilling to undergo biopsy are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early biomarkers and molecular targets that help detect, monitor, or eventually prevent progression to pulmonary fibrosis.
How similar studies have performed: Previous single-cell studies have shown clear cellular changes in late-stage pulmonary fibrosis, but applying combined RNA+ATAC single-cell methods to early at-risk biopsies and searching for disease-interacting sc-eQTL is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR — ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KROPSKI, JONATHAN ANDREW — UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- Study coordinator: KROPSKI, JONATHAN ANDREW
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 below.