U01HL152976

Developing a Patient-Specific Organoid Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis Using iPSCs - Project Summary/Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains a deadly interstitial lung disease (ILD) with treatment options limited by an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate disease. A growing literature now implicates lung epithelial dysfunction as playing a role in the events that lead to downstream fibroblast activation, culminating in relentless fibrosis. These studies, together with the observation that lung epithelial cells in all forms of IPF display shortened telomeres, suggest that lung epithelial dysfunction may initiate IPF, and accelerated aging phenotypes or telomerase pathway abnormalities likely contribute to this pathogenesis.

However, without access to patient-specific human epithelial-mesenchymal model systems, there are limited options for testing hypotheses of how epithelial changes induced by gene polymorphisms or telomerase perturbations might mechanistically contribute to IPF.

Here, we propose to develop a human organoid-based in vitro model system for the study of IPF. We have established a biorepository of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from individuals with sporadic or familial pulmonary fibrosis.

In Aim 1, we apply this repository by directing the in vitro differentiation of banked IPF iPSCs carrying telomerase mutations (vs normal iPSCs) into various airway and alveolar lung epithelial cells for the purpose of generating a reductionist, epithelial-only 3D culture model of the intrinsic epithelial dysfunction that we posit may initiate pulmonary fibrosis.

In Aim 2, we augment the complexity of this model by introducing human organoids composed of iPSC-derived lung epithelia juxtaposed with human mesenchymal lineages in order to model the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions hypothesized to perpetuate IPF.

Finally, in Aim 3, we test the hypothesis that different telomerase pathway mutations result in shared lung epithelial perturbations, including short telomeres and p53 activation, that then leads to downstream mesenchymal activation.

Trustees Of Boston University

THE DIVISION OF LUNG DISEASES SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING ON THE CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT OF LUNG DISEASES AND SLEEP DISORDERS. RESEARCH IS FUNDED THROUGH INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED AND INSTITUTE-INITIATED GRANT PROGRAMS AND THROUGH CONTRACT PROGRAMS IN AREAS INCLUDING ASTHMA, BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, RESPIRATORY NEUROBIOLOGY, SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN BIOLOGY, SLEEP-DISORDERED BREATHING, CRITICAL CARE AND ACUTE LUNG INJURY, DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY AND PEDIATRIC PULMONARY DISEASES, IMMUNOLOGIC AND FIBROTIC PULMONARY DISEASE, RARE LUNG DISORDERS, PULMONARY VASCULAR DISEASE, AND PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS OF AIDS AND TUBERCULOSIS. THE DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THE LATEST RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EXTRAMURAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING RESEARCH GAPS AND NEEDS, OBTAINING ADVICE FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS NEW OPPORTUNITIES. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, USE SMALL BUSINESS TO MEET FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERSONS, AND INCREASE PRIVATE-SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUNDING. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER THROUGH COOPERATIVE R&D BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, AND INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL R&D.

93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) [HHS - NIH]

Massachusetts United States

State-Wide

Advancing Novel Research Models to Study Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-HL-20-007)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 11/30/24 to 11/30/25 and the total obligations have increased 387% from $508,550 to $2,476,283.