Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) received a $731,287 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. This award funds research investigating airway epithelial cell reprogramming mechanisms that drive chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), a condition that limits survival following lung transplantation. The research will develop and validate mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling biomarkers in airway samples to predict progression from acute lung allograft dysfunction to CLAD, examine the role of mTOR inhibition in preventing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in mouse lung transplant models, and support UCSF's ongoing INSPO trial evaluating inhaled mTOR inhibitors as a targeted therapeutic approach with improved airway delivery.

The project deliverables include analysis of biobanked samples from UCSF lung transplant recipients to establish mTOR gene expression signatures as predictive biomarkers, mechanistic studies in cell culture and animal models to characterize how mTOR signaling drives CLAD pathology, and research data to inform clinical therapeutic strategies. These research outputs will advance understanding of CLAD pathogenesis and support the development of evidence-based treatment approaches to improve outcomes in lung transplant recipients, addressing a critical clinical need in the absence of approved therapies to prevent functional decline.