Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under CFDA 93.837 (Cardiovascular Diseases Research) awarded $233,250 to The Washington University in St. Louis on June 15, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. This Project Grant funds research investigating the mechanisms by which mycophenolic acid (MPA)—an immunosuppressant medication used by over 80% of lung transplant recipients—induces neutropenia, a serious adverse effect characterized by abnormally low neutrophil counts. The research aims to improve therapeutic outcomes and risk stratification for transplant patients by determining how MPA disrupts neutrophil development, survival, and effector function.

The research deliverables include mechanistic studies using primary human myeloid precursor cells and mature neutrophils to elucidate MPA-induced cell death during neutrophil differentiation and to investigate how MPA alters metabolic pathways, particularly glycolysis, and gene expression patterns that dysregulate neutrophil differentiation and effector functions. Findings from this investigation will generate scientific knowledge to inform medication management strategies and identify patients at higher risk for MPA-related complications, ultimately enabling clinicians to optimize immunosuppressive therapy in lung transplant recipients while minimizing adverse hematologic outcomes.