Project Grant P01HL169188

This federal Project Grant award in the amount of $2,803,961 was issued by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). The award supports a multi-year research effort by Northwestern University to investigate the integrated mechanisms underlying primary graft dysfunction and chronic lung allograft dysfunction following lung transplantation. The research is structured across four interrelated projects that aim to: 1) determine the role of lung-restricted alloantibodies in exacerbating primary graft dysfunction, 2) examine how esophageal abnormalities and gastric aspiration contribute to chronic lung allograft dysfunction, 3) evaluate the role of pro-fibrotic monocyte-derived macrophages as drivers of lung fibrosis, and 4) assess whether mitochondrial dysfunction in the airway and alveolar epithelium leads to impaired epithelial repair and chronic dysfunction. This comprehensive research program leverages murine models, clinical data, and molecular analyses to uncover actionable pathways for improving lung transplant outcomes.