Federal Grant Award Summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center received a $249,000 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded April 2, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2029. The research project, titled "Frontiers at the Edge: Subpleural Fibroblasts Orchestrate Pulmonary Fibrosis Progression," supports basic and translational research investigating the mechanisms underlying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The grant funds scientific investigation into a novel population of WT1-expressing fibroblasts located in the lung periphery that drive fibrosis progression from the edges toward the center of the lung, utilizing advanced methodologies including lineage tracing, mouse modeling, and multimodal single-cell sequencing.

The research deliverables include characterization of the cellular origins and molecular drivers of WT1-positive subpleural fibroblasts, determination of the transcription factors that induce their differentiation, and elucidation of whether these fibroblasts function as a stromal niche promoting pulmonary fibrosis progression. By advancing understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying IPF development and progression, this research is intended to contribute foundational knowledge that may inform early diagnosis and treatment approaches for this lethal pulmonary condition of unknown etiology.