# Developing Hyperpolarized Gas MRI signatures to detect and manage acute cellular rejection

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $742,810

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Lung transplantation (LT) is the only definitive therapy for many patients with end-stage lung diseases, but many
LT recipients experience allograft failure with high morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that early detection
of allograft rejection can change their prognosis by optimizing therapies before irreversible damage occurs.
Unfortunately, we do not have good diagnostic methods to address this need. In this proposal, we plan to develop
new diagnostic and guidance tools to address this deficiency using Hyperpolarized Gas MRI (HGMRI). Our
group has reported that HGMRI can detect and endotype regional abnormalities occurring in several lung
diseases with high definition and resolution, including lung transplants. We anticipate that incorporating HGMRI
signatures into the standard clinical workflow will significantly increase the detection rate of acute cellular
rejection (ACR) in asymptomatic LT recipients. Herein, our aims will test the performance of our HGMRI
signatures to enhance the detection and endotyping of ACR. Three sub-aims of Aim 1 are; (1) Aim 1a -
correlating the results of the tissue pathology (current clinical gold standard) with HGMRI signatures; (2) Aim 1b
- determining the HGMRI signature responses before and after ACR treatment; and (3) Aim 1c - determining
the correlation between HGMRI signatures and single-cell RNA-sequence (scRNA-seq) transcriptomic
signatures, showing dysregulated host immune responses. Two sub-aims of Aim 2 are; (1) Aim 2a – determining
if the regional ACR diagnosis by HGMRI signatures and tissue pathology persists from Visit 1 at baseline (Aim
1) to Visit 2 at 12-month follow-up (Aim 2); and (2) Aim 2b - determining additional correlations at 12 months
between the HGMRI and scRNA-seq signatures and test if HGMRI signatures reflect underpinning
immunopathology in LT recipients with rejection. Successful completion of this proposal will ready HGMRI
signatures with which ACR can be detected early, followed noninvasively, and corroborated by the state-of-the-
art scRNA-seq transcriptomic signatures. Our proposal will test the performance of HGMRI signatures by
independent but corroborating approaches to maintain scientific rigor with the potential to advance the field of
pulmonary transplant medicine.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10858186
- **Project number:** 1R01HL173369-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Jaime Mata
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $742,810
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10858186

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10858186, Developing Hyperpolarized Gas MRI signatures to detect and manage acute cellular rejection (1R01HL173369-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10858186. Licensed CC0.

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