Project Grant R21HL179581

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth $426,550 on September 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to develop a bioengineering modular gene delivery system for lung-targeted transgene expression.

The project addresses systemic gene therapy for monogenic lung diseases including cystic fibrosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The recipient will develop and evaluate a novel organ-targeted nanoparticle delivery system where nanoparticles adsorbed on polymeric microcapsules are selectively released in lung tissue following intravenous injection through shear stress triggered by capillary blood flow. The work will demonstrate consistent organ targeting across multiple poly(beta-amino ester) nanoparticle formulations and establish modularity to achieve both organ and cell-level targeting in the lungs, addressing a major clinical hurdle in systemic gene therapy: precise targeting of genetic cargo to diseased sites from the circulation.

The performance period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028, with work performed in Fort Worth, Texas.