Why some people get ARDS and respond differently to treatment
Official title: Investigating Individual Susceptibility and Host Response in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11146722 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at blood and genetic markers in adults with sepsis-related ARDS to find patterns that could guide different 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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $975,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL161196-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146722 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults hospitalized with sepsis who develop or are at high risk for ARDS, typically those treated in intensive care units, are the patients most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without sepsis-associated ARDS, children, or those with only mild respiratory illness are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit in the near term.
What this research studies
The research uses a large, carefully recorded group of over 3,500 critically ill patients with sepsis and collected blood and other samples at multiple timepoints. Doctors and scientists will run genomic and molecular tests on those samples and link the results to who developed ARDS, who recovered, and who did not. The goal is to define immune and molecular subtypes of ARDS that may respond differently to specific therapies. Findings will be used to guide future personalized treatments and new drug targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors match treatments to patient subtypes and ultimately reduce deaths from ARDS.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genomic and translational studies have identified candidate markers and subtypes but have not yet produced widely effective drugs, so this builds on promising early work but remains exploratory.
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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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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Dead space and inhaled nitric oxide in pediatric ARDS
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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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Understanding why some people with severe lung injury get worse and how to tailor therapy
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.
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.