Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Illinois at Chicago received a $670,622 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded July 15, 2026, with completion scheduled for April 30, 2030. This research project investigates the role of endogenous RNA sensing in amplifying lung vascular endothelial injury during inflammatory lung infections. The research focuses on understanding how endogenous transposable elements and mitochondrial dysfunction generate double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules that activate cytosolic dsRNA sensors, triggering a feed-forward amplification loop of inflammatory signaling and endothelial barrier breakdown.

The project encompasses two primary research aims designed to elucidate mechanistic pathways of inflammatory lung injury. Aim 1 will test whether inflammatory cytokine signaling epigenetically enhances transposable element expression, resulting in dsRNA accumulation that functions as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Aim 2 will examine the role of endothelial cell-derived dsRNA in activating pattern recognition receptors and downstream inflammatory cascades. This mechanistic investigation of dsRNA signaling in endothelial cells addresses a knowledge gap regarding endogenous RNA sensing in pulmonary pathology, with potential implications for understanding and treating acute lung injury and related inflammatory conditions.