Project Grant R21AI183648

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded The General Hospital Corporation (Massachusetts General Hospital) $247,500 on July 21, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to develop a microfluidic assay for detecting neutrophil extracellular traps in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from lung transplant patients.

The project addresses chronic lung allograft dysfunction, a progressive scarring condition that limits survival in lung transplant recipients. Current monitoring relies on invasive transbronchial biopsy. The recipient will design and validate microfluidic devices capable of measuring and classifying neutrophil extracellular traps in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, differentiating intact from degraded traps and distinguishing them from chromatin released by other cell types. The assay will also detect bacteria trapped on these structures and provide preliminary antibiotic-sensitivity information. Validation will use bronchoalveolar lavage samples from lung transplant patients. The work will establish safer, non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, enabling timely treatment before irreversible lung damage occurs.

Performance occurs in Charlestown, Massachusetts, with a period of performance from July 21, 2026, through June 30, 2028. The assistance type is a Project Grant.