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Role of Surfactant Protein-C Mutation and Ozone Exposure in the Exacerbation of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Award Number: R01ES032553
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2026

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Role of Surfactant Protein-C Mutation and Ozone Exposure in the Exacerbation of Pulmonary Fibrosis - Project Summary/Abstract: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a rare degenerative disease characterized by progressive lung stiffening, resulting in death within 3-5 years of diagnosis. Compelling clinical evidence show that mutations of the epithelial cell- specific gene encoding surfactant protein-C (SP-C), are linked to a particularly extreme lung phenotype. Progression of PF in humans is often punctuated by inflammatory bursts, clinically termed “acute exacerbations”, that drastically accelerate the disease and reduce life expectancy. In accord with this notion, monocyte mobilization and the persistence of monocyte-derived macrophages in the lung are strong predictors of PF severity. Several environmental factors have been proposed to promote and accelerate acute inflammatory exacerbations of PF; however, the exact mechanisms have not been interrogated. The ubiquitous air pollutant ozone (O3) represents a major, and unavoidable, environmental contributor to pulmonary disease through oxidative stress and monocyte/macrophage rich inflammation. To closely mimic causes of human PF, we developed a novel mouse model that develops spontaneous lesions over time, as a result of inducible ectopic expression of the most common PF-linked SP-C mutation (SP-CI73T). This preclinical model provides a unique platform to decipher mechanisms of PF progression and specifically the roles of acute exacerbations (induced by O3), infiltrating monocytes, and monocyte-derived macrophages in promoting PF. Our published work showed that SP-C mutation is accompanied by a dynamic monocyte/macrophage inflammatory response, initiated by the epithelium. Preliminary evidence confirm that O3 exposure amplifies inflammatory cell influx and pro- inflammatory signaling in SP-C mutant mice, worsening PF. Assessment of the proposed paradigm will provide fundamental data to define the responses of the healthy, acutely inflamed, and fully fibrotic lung to environmental exposure. Our hypothesis is that O3-induced acute exacerbation of PF driven by SP-C mutation enhances the recruitment and activation of inflammatory monocytes, triggering a monocyte-derived macrophage pro-fibrotic response. Our Specific Aims are to: 1) Define monocyte dynamics following O3-induced pulmonary inflammation and PF. 2) Investigate the role of monocyte-derived macrophages and O3-induced exacerbation of PF; and 3) : Establish the role of monocyte subpopulations in the PF phenotype.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2025	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	5	1/28/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $400,027 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Environmental Health	002	6	9/18/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$380,084
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Environmental Health	005	6	9/24/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Environmental Health	003	6	9/20/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	-$15,686
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	001	5	9/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$363,229
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	5	11/6/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$383,172
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	004	5	9/23/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$15,686
														Subtotal = $400,027

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $380,122 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	4	12/1/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$380,122
														Subtotal = $380,122

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $383,172 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, THE	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	3	12/7/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$383,172
														Subtotal = $383,172

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $380,122 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, THE	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	2	11/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$380,122
														Subtotal = $380,122

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $532,656 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, THE	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Environmental Health	000	1	1/20/2021	NEW	$532,656
														Subtotal = $532,656

Grand Total All Awards = $2,076,099

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Role of Surfactant Protein-C Mutation and Ozone Exposure in the Exacerbation of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Award Number: R01ES032553

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2026

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