Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)
Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario)
$120,000.00
Investigating the role for natural killer cell TGF-beta signaling in cardiopulmonary development and the pathogenesis of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
EF 2025-26
Résumé
Globally, 10-80% of extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks) will develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a disease in which the blood vessels and airways of the lungs don't develop properly. Despite significant advances in neonatal care, no curative treatments exist for the disease, and it remains a leading cause of mortality in preterm infants.
Work in our lab has shown that a type of immune cell, called the natural killer (NK) cell, influences blood vessel development in the lungs as a result of an immunosuppressive protein called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). We have shown that genetically modified mice with NK cells that do not respond to TGF-beta have underdeveloped lungs, much like infants with BPD, but that only male genetically modified mice display long-term reductions in lung function. My work seeks to understand what drives sex-specific developmental differences in both healthy and diseased lungs, and whether NK cells can be targeted to treat developmental lung conditions such as BPD.
Programme
DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Ontario, Canada
Type
Grant
Source
CIHR Funding Decisions Database
Tel que publié
Id
560301
Name
Gainer Declan
Region
Ontario
Country
Canada
Orgtype
Institution Paid; Research Institution
Instname2
Circulatory and Respiratory Health
Theme2
Biomedical
Prcname2
DT1 (Biomedical and/or Clinical Research) CGRS Doctoral
Projecttitle
Investigating the role for natural killer cell TGF-beta signaling in cardiopulmonary development and the pathogenesis of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Programtype2
Studentship Programs
Orgnameinp2
Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario)
Cihramount2
$120,000
Cihrequipment2
$0
Programname2
DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)
Keyworddelim
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia; Cellular Senescence; Endothelial Cells; Flow Cytometry; Immunohistochemistry; Immunotherapies; Lung Development; Natural Killer Cells; Single Cell Rna Sequencing; Transforming Growth Factor-Beta
Abstract
Globally, 10-80% of extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks) will develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a disease in which the blood vessels and airways of the lungs don't develop properly. Despite significant advances in neonatal care, no curative treatments exist for the disease, and it remains a leading cause of mortality in preterm infants.
Work in our lab has shown that a type of immune cell, called the natural killer (NK) cell, influences blood vessel development in the lungs as a result of an immunosuppressive protein called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). We have shown that genetically modified mice with NK cells that do not respond to TGF-beta have underdeveloped lungs, much like infants with BPD, but that only male genetically modified mice display long-term reductions in lung function. My work seeks to understand what drives sex-specific developmental differences in both healthy and diseased lungs, and whether NK cells can be targeted to treat developmental lung conditions such as BPD.
Competitiondate
202511
Approvedterm2
3 yrs 0 mth
Pinamesdelim
Gainer, Declan
Approvedterm
3 ans 0 mois
Cihrcontribution2
~ $120,000~ $0~
