# Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in pulmonary fibrosis

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2021 · $171,612

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
My goal is to become an independent clinical and translational researcher in interstitial lung disease (ILD) which
I outline in this 5-year K23 Career Development Award application. The central goal of my proposal is to establish
omega-3 fatty acid intake (as measured in plasma phospholipids), as a novel risk factor in idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a chronic form of interstitial lung disease in older adults with few available medical therapies
and a poor prognosis with a median survival of 3 to 4 years. This proposal builds upon my preliminary data
showing that higher plasma phospholipid levels of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with less subclinical ILD
on CT and a lower risk of ILD-related hospitalization and mortality among community-dwelling adults. Among
adults with clinically diagnosed ILD, my data shows omega-3 fatty acid plasma phospholipid levels were
correlated with higher forced vital capacity and exercise capacity. My data are consistent with mouse studies
that show administration of omega-3 fatty acids attenuates lung injury and fibrosis which may be driven by
production of omega-3 derived pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs). Under the mentorship of Dr. Imre Noth, I
propose to examine the associations of plasma phospholipid omega-3 fatty acid levels and their metabolites
(SPMs) with disease severity and progression in adults with IPF. I will correlate circulating levels of omega-3
derived SPMs with the lung and identify distinct gene expression profiles and pathways by different SPM levels.
I have crafted a rigorous 5-year career development plan that includes training in respiratory epidemiology (co-
mentor: Dr. Barr) fatty acid biology (co-mentor: Dr. Leitinger), biostatistics (co-mentor: Dr. Ma), and clinical-
translational research and ILD (primary mentor: Dr. Noth) that will position me to become a clinical and
translational independent investigator in patient-oriented research. By achieving the aims of this K23 proposal, I
will establish polyunsaturated fatty acids as a novel modifying factor in IPF leading me to identify specific
phenotypes that will benefit the most from omega-3 therapy and design and implement future clinical trials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10127253
- **Project number:** 1K23HL150301-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** John S Kim
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $171,612
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-02-20 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10127253

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10127253, Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in pulmonary fibrosis (1K23HL150301-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10127253. Licensed CC0.

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