# Impact of Early-in-life Disruption of Lung Development on Adult Lung Progenitor Function

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $523,424

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Infants born preterm are known to have higher risks of developing adult lung
diseases than those born full term. Prominent among these is an increased severity of
illness following viral infection. The mechanism of this increased susceptibility is poorly
understood. Much of the research to date has focused on the damage phase of the
response to infection. With recent characterization of the progenitor cells that are central
to influenza virus-induced repair, we hypothesize that compromised progenitor activity in
the mature lungs of the former preterm population contribute to the increased severity of
viral illness. In this proposal, we will determine how neonatal insults such as hyperoxia,
which is routinely used to sustain life in preterm infants, leave a lasting impact on lung
progenitors, compromising their ability to repair following influenza infection. We will use
a mouse model of neonatal hyperoxia and adult influenza infection, which together
recapitulate many of the changes as observed in human. We will address if the neonatal
insult impacts the progenitor cells either directly (Aim 1), or indirectly through the
mesenchymal cell microenvironment (Aim 2) or immune cell microenvironment (Aim 3).
This proposal thereby addresses progenitor control by the microenvironment from a
unique and clinically significant angle. We anticipate that our findings will reveal which
progenitors and corresponding microenvironments are affected, how they are affected,
and what are the key signals that mediate these changes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962979
- **Project number:** 5R01HL143256-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Lawrence S Prince
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $523,424
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962979

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962979, Impact of Early-in-life Disruption of Lung Development on Adult Lung Progenitor Function (5R01HL143256-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962979. Licensed CC0.

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