# Monocytic-MDSCs as resolution mediators of post-transplant lung ischemia-reperfusion injury

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2023 · $38,904

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Post-lung transplant ischemia reperfusion injury is an unavoidable insult that occurs early in the post-transplant
period and can cause significant dysfunction in an otherwise healthy graft. This injury is characterized by a robust
inflammatory response that when unresolved, can lead to both short- and long-term mortality, ultimately
hindering success rates of lung transplantation. The mechanisms that facilitate the resolution of inflammation,
and specifically the resolution of this sterile insult, are not well characterized, and thus represent an attractive
research opportunity that could uncover therapeutic targets. Recently, transplant research has focused on the
therapeutic potential of innate cells that suppress immune response, referred to as Myeloid-Derived Suppressor
Cells (MDSCs). This is a heterogeneous population of cells made up of granulocytic-like (G-MDSC) and
monocytic-like (M-MDSCs) immature myeloid cells with potent immunosuppressive properties. Their role as
master immunosuppressive regulators has been extensively elucidated in cancer settings, with findings
translatable, but not confirmed, in transplantation. The proposed F31 NRSA application will use an experimental
lung IRI model, a murine orthotopic lung transplant model, and in vitro methods to test the overall hypothesis
that the M-MDSC subset facilitates the resolution of post-lung transplant ischemia reperfusion injury. In Aim 1, I
will test the hypothesis that M-MDSC facilitate the resolution of lung IRI in an experimental hilar-ligation induced
lung injury model through modulation of specific immune cell activation. In Aim 2, I will test the hypothesis that
M-MDSCs act in an immunosuppressive manner to reduce lung injury in a murine orthotopic lung transplant
model. This project will reveal insights into the actions of M-MDSCs in the lung which is crucial to understanding
their full potential as a cellular therapy in the induction of graft tolerance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10677290
- **Project number:** 1F31HL168827-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Victoria Leroy
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $38,904
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10677290

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10677290, Monocytic-MDSCs as resolution mediators of post-transplant lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (1F31HL168827-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10677290. Licensed CC0.

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