# New ACE2 activator and its prodrug as novel therapeutic reagents for inflammatory pulmonary diseases

> **NIH NIH R21** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $204,688

## Abstract

Project title: New ACE2 activator and its prodrug as novel therapeutic reagents for
inflammatory pulmonary diseases.
Pneumonia and associated inflammatory lung diseases (ILD) are a leading cause of death among children
and elderly worldwide and a significant source of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients.
Interestingly, the diseases are associate with over-activation of the renin-angiotensin system and impaired
ACE2 activity. The overall goal of present study will validate the therapeutic benefits of a newly discovered
class of ACE2 activators, named H4, in bacterial pneumonia associated inflammatory lung disease.
The immediate objectives of this application are: 1) To explore the mechanisms by which H4 and its prodrugs
buffer RAS over-activity; 2) To evaluate the efficacy of and strategies for H4 and its prodrugs to reverse the
development of bacterial pneumonia by limiting neutrophilic lung inflammation.
This project is highly significant because ILD are associated with many infectious and non-infectious lung
diseases, in which, many of them are projected to remain the leading cause of death. Therefore, not only our
research will lead to the validation of a new therapy but we will assess the impact of that treatment for
inflammatory lung diseases.
These studies will make a significant pre-clinical insight of a novel ACE2 activator, h4 and its pro-
drug in preventing and treating inflammatory lung diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10077263
- **Project number:** 5R21AI149321-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Hongpeng Jia
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $204,688
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10077263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10077263, New ACE2 activator and its prodrug as novel therapeutic reagents for inflammatory pulmonary diseases (5R21AI149321-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10077263. Licensed CC0.

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