# Patient-Oriented Research in Acute Lung Injury and Host Defense in the ICU

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $117,093

## Abstract

Abstract: The overall goal of this new application for a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented
Research is to enable Dr. Lee to build a research and mentoring program in patient-oriented research in acute
lung injury and host defense. Acute lower respiratory traction infections (LRTI) in the ICU remains an enormous
healthcare burden in the US and worldwide. LRTI remains a major cause of sepsis and risk factor for acute lung
injury. Bacterial LRTI is also a frequent complication of acute lung injury that increases patient morbidity, length
of stay and health-care costs. Dr. Lee is a physician scientist focused on broadening molecular understanding
of critical illness syndromes such as acute lung injury by probing host-pathogen interplay to elucidate the biology
of host factors that predispose individuals to pathogen-induced injury. This award will allow protected time for
dedicated teaching, training, and mentoring of trainees that include junior faculty, fellows, residents, and medical
students in translational research focusing on problems arising in critically ill patients. Specifically, mentoring will
support novel investigations into acute lower respiratory tract infections from common Gram-negative bacterial
pathogens in the ICU. The major hypothesis is that distinct molecular determinants of host-pathogen interplay
identified at the bench provide unique insights into impairments of host defense mechanisms that associate with
adverse clinical outcomes in the ICU. Two aims are proposed that leverage the unique capabilities of the
investigator in translational research. Aim 1 will evaluate microbial factors that predispose patients to tissue
inflammation and injury instigated by the Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) respiratory
isolates in the ICU. We will test molecular pathways identified at the bench to explore the relationship between
pathogen protease function to patient outcomes such as microbial persistence in the lower respiratory tract,
ventilator-free days, length of stay and mortality. Aim 2 will evaluate impairments in host humoral immunity
during critical illness and examine the relationship to patient outcomes including multiple organ dysfunction,
mortality, acquisition of multi-drug resistant ICU infections, and serum killing of encapsulated Gram-negative
pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae. This K24 award will allow Dr. Lee to achieve two principal goals: (1) forge links
between basic biology and medicine by probing host-pathogen interplay in the ICU setting and improve
understanding of critical illness syndromes such as ARDS; and (2) to further develop her skills in mentoring
trainees in patient-oriented research in molecular critical care while expanding her time devoted to mentoring.
The successful execution of this award will enhance the productivity of both the K24 investigator and increase
the pool of well-trained clinician investigators who are equipped to translate fundamental biology to the bedsi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9928989
- **Project number:** 5K24HL143285-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Janet Sojung Lee
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $117,093
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9928989

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9928989, Patient-Oriented Research in Acute Lung Injury and Host Defense in the ICU (5K24HL143285-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9928989. Licensed CC0.

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