Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Yale University received a $671,373 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective July 1, 2026, through March 31, 2030. The award funds research investigating ferroptosis regulation in lung inflammation and injury, with the primary deliverable being scientific findings on the mechanisms by which pulmonary inflammation damages alveolar cells. The project extends preliminary research demonstrating that ciliated cell-specific knockout of the Wnt receptor FZD6 protects alveolar cells from inflammation-induced injury by suppressing ferroptosis through non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. Specific research products include elucidation of how aldo-keto reductase produced by ciliated cells protects against ferroptotic cell death during lung inflammation.

This research addresses critical gaps in understanding acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) pathogenesis, conditions for which no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments currently exist. The funded activities will generate mechanistic insights into cell-to-cell signaling during pulmonary inflammation that may inform future therapeutic development for these life-threatening conditions. Research will be conducted at Yale University's facility in New Haven, Connecticut.