Project Grant R01HL171013

This federal Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), provides $690,626 to the Regents of the University of Michigan to conduct research on the role of type I interferon signaling in modulating acute lung injury and alveolar regeneration. The key research objectives are to: 1) identify the molecular effectors linking interferon signaling to cell cycle arrest in respiratory epithelial cells, 2) determine if inhibition of alveolar type 2 cell proliferation and regeneration is responsible for the pathogenic effects of interferon signaling in a SARS-CoV-2 infection mouse model, and 3) assess the potential of interferon signaling in alveolar type 2 cells to modulate alveolar regeneration after non-infectious acute lung injury. The research aims to clarify the fundamental biology of interferon signaling in the alveolar epithelium and facilitate the development of new disease-modifying treatments for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The award period runs from January 1, 2025 to November 30, 2028.