Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a $169,140 Project Grant to The Washington University (Office of Sponsored Research Services) effective July 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). This award supports mechanistic research investigating immuno-metabolic drivers of chronic rejection following lung transplantation, specifically bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). The principal investigator, an early-career lung transplant physician-scientist, will deliver three primary research products: (1) experimental validation of whether targeted inhibition of glycolysis in monocyte-derived antigen-presenting cells prevents BOS development using targeted delivery methods; (2) metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling to identify contributing metabolic pathways in BOS pathogenesis; and (3) determination of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B) inflammatory pathway contributions to BOS through both pharmacologic and genetic inhibition strategies. The research builds on a mouse lung transplantation model with accelerated BOS development and preliminary evidence linking ATG16L1 (autophagy-related protein 16-like 1) deficiency to enhanced glycolytic inflammatory responses.

The award supports hypothesis-driven basic science and translational research aligned with NHLBI's portfolio focus on mechanistic investigations of cardiovascular and pulmonary pathology. Deliverables will advance understanding of BOS mechanisms and inform development of targeted therapeutic interventions for this major cause of post-transplant mortality, for which no effective therapies currently exist.