Tuesday, July 1, 2025 7/1/2025

Let-7b in BPD

Award Number: R01HL156275
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/14/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

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Let-7b in BPD - Project Summary Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is common in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Recently, we discovered that the strongest biomarker signal was of microRNA let-7b-5p, with a 46-fold increase (p<0.001) at birth in the blood of infants who subsequently developed severe BPD (versus no BPD) many weeks later at 36w post-menstrual age. We also found a 14-fold increase of let-7b-5p on day 1 in the tracheal aspirate of infants who subsequently developed BPD. In cell culture, airway epithelial cells were the primary source of let-7b-5p, that increased with hyperoxia. We found that excessive let-7b inhibits angiogenesis, and that let-7b inhibition during hyperoxia improves lung development in newborn mice. In the “Let-7b in BPD” project, we will build upon our exciting discovery of let-7b-5p as a robust biomarker of BPD, and determine its relevance to lung development and BPD. We will test the central hypotheses that miRNA let-7b-5p is (a) a valuable biomarker for staging, monitoring disease progression and response to therapy, (b) is released from airway epithelial cells by oxidative stress, (c) is a contributor to dysregulated angiogenesis in bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and (d) that inhibition of let-7b signaling improves lung angiogenesis and attenuates the BPD phenotype. We will test the hypotheses by the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1 – Determine if plasma let-7b-5p concentrations in extremely preterm infants track with lung disease progression and correlate with response to therapy. Let-7b-5p will be measured in serial plasma samples from a well characterized prospective cohort of 150 extremely preterm infants. We will define the temporal changes in let-7b-5p with respiratory illness severity, BPD staging and lung mechanics at 36w PMA, and with clinical therapies. Specific Aim 2 – Determine the mechanisms of Let-7b release by newborn mouse lung airway epithelium To confirm that the let-7b-5p release by oxidative stress is the key upstream mechanism, we will use novel transgenic mice. We will test the hypothesis that reduction of mitochondrial ROS reduces let-7b-5p and the BPD phenotype, and determine the role of Nrf2 and NF-kB signaling using specific inhibitors/modulators in cell culture models. Specific Aim 3 – Determine effects of excessive let-7b-5p signaling on lung microvascular development. We will test the hypothesis that over-expression of let-7b-5p induces impaired lung microvascular development, inducing a BPD phenotype in newborn mice even in normoxia, and that inhibition of let-7b-5p improves lung development in hyperoxia- exposed newborn mouse lung (BPD model).


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: 2025 ( Subtotal = $554,376 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	001	3	6/26/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$55,438
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	3	4/21/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$498,938
														Subtotal = $554,376

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $543,288 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	2	4/10/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$498,938
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	001	2	6/21/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$44,350
														Subtotal = $543,288

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $554,376 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	1	4/12/2023	NEW	$554,376
														Subtotal = $554,376

Grand Total All Awards = $1,652,040

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Let-7b in BPD

Award Number: R01HL156275

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/14/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2027

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