Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have received $2.8 million in funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for research on reducing inflammation and lung damage in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.
The study, titled “Cell Based Immunomodulation to Suppress Lung Inflammation and Promote Repair,” will be co-led by Omid Veiseh, a professor of bioengineering and faculty director of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, and Ravi Kiran Ghanta, a professor of surgery at Baylor. Veiseh and Ghanta are developing a new translational cell therapy platform that allows better local administration of cytokines to the lungs in order to suppress inflammation and potentially prevent lung damage in ARDS patients.
ARDS affects over 300,000 Americans annually, with a high mortality rate of 43% driven significantly by inflammation, specifically in the one-third of patients with hyperinflammatory ARDS. While cytokines like IL-1Ra and IL-10 can reduce inflammation and aid lung repair, current delivery methods cause poor biodistribution, toxicity and immune complications.
The new approach developed by Ghanta and Veiseh overcomes these issues by using engineered retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to locally and sustainably produce these cytokines in the lungs. The cells are encapsulated in a protective layer allowing them to subsist immune system attacks. This method allows precise, targeted anti-inflammatory therapy, reducing lung damage and improving ARDS outcomes while side-stepping the risks of systemic delivery.
“ARDS is a devastating condition that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, with inflammation driving long-term respiratory failure and high mortality rate in many of its patients,” said Ghanta. “Current cytokine therapies face major obstacles in terms of delivery and safety, which is why our team is developing a novel cell therapy platform to safely conduct local delivery to the lungs.
“Our approach harnesses engineered RPE cells to act as localized cytokine ‘factories,’ delivering anti-inflammatory agents directly to the lungs. This technology represents a critical advancement in addressing inflammation and lung damage in ARDS, with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.”
“We are grateful to the NHLBI for this funding, as it certifies the importance of finding safer ways to treat inflammation and ultimately treat ARDS patients,” Veiseh said. “Thanks to the collaborative work between Rice and Baylor, we will be able to ultimately create new cell therapy systems that ameliorate lung health and increase survival rates for people suffering from ARDS. “This study highlights the spirit of collaboration characteristic of the Rice ecosystem and demonstrates the launch pad’s commitment to generating groundbreaking technologies that ultimately reach the clinic and make a positive impact on patients’ lives.”