# Airway dual-transcriptomics in bronchiolitis and risk of asthma: MARC-35 cohort

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $822,335

## Abstract

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the US. Yet, its acute severity is not
explained by traditional risk factors. Additionally, while infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis are at
very high risk for incident asthma, little is known about the mechanisms linking these two
conditions. These major knowledge gaps have hindered efforts to develop bronchiolitis
treatment strategies and to prevent asthma in this high risk population. The 35th Multicenter
Airway Research Collaboration (MARC-35) study (U01AI087881; Camargo, PI) is an ongoing
17-center cohort study that enrolled 1,016 hospitalized infants with bronchiolitis during 2011-
2014. In this racially-, ethnically-, and geographically-diverse cohort, investigators have
collected high-quality biospecimens, including nasopharyngeal airway samples at the index
hospitalization. Follow-up data include biannual parent interviews, medical record reviews, and
in-person exam at age 6 years, with >90% follow-up to date. The present R01 project would
extend this large well-characterized bronchiolitis cohort by profiling the gene expression of both
nasopharyngeal airway microbiome (metatranscriptome) and host response (transcriptome) in
the setting of bronchiolitis, and by examining their relations to both acute (bronchiolitis severity)
and chronic (incident asthma) outcomes. In Aim 1, we will examine the relations among the
airway microbiome profiles, host transcriptomic profiles, and acute severity of bronchiolitis. In
Aim 2, we will determine the relations among the airway microbiome and host transcriptomic
profiles in infants with bronchiolitis, and the risk of developing childhood asthma. Finally, using a
systems biology approach, Aim 3 will define bronchiolitis endotypes by integrating clinical, virus,
immunology (e.g., IgE), microbiome (composition and function) and host transcriptome data,
and determine their associations with both the acute and chronic outcomes. Our pilot data lend
compelling support to our hypotheses. The present R01 project will provide a unique opportunity
to define the pathobiology of bronchiolitis through examining the functional activity of
microbiome and host response in the airway. Furthermore, we will also determine the
mechanisms linking bronchiolitis to asthma, by investigating young infants with bronchiolitis
(median age, 3 months) – a natural experiment during a critical period of lung development. The
project will provide a strong evidence base for developing targeted interventions for acute
bronchiolitis treatment and asthma primary prevention (e.g., through modulation of microbiome
and immune responses). The investigators are NIH-funded researchers with international
expertise in all relevant fields. The study matches well with the 2013 NIAID Strategic Plan.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9852298
- **Project number:** 5R01AI137091-03
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Kohei Hasegawa
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $822,335
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-14 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9852298

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9852298, Airway dual-transcriptomics in bronchiolitis and risk of asthma: MARC-35 cohort (5R01AI137091-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9852298. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*