Sun Lab
Principal Investigator: Jie Sun
Institution: University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: ✅ Accepting PhD Students ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Project Summary Introduction: IL-13 is elevated in patients with COVID-19, in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 IL-13 neutralization improved survival and decreased pulmonary deposition of hyaluronan (HA), and in a clinical trial IL-13/IL-4 blockade during severe acute COVID-19 improved DLCO and/or 6 minute walk test at one year. Here, we will determine in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 how IL-13 is induced, impacts HA matrices and lung inflammation. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that IL-13 produced by ILC2s in the lung during COVID-19 induces a hyaluronan (HA) matrix that via HA receptors recruits inflammatory cells, resulting in severe COVID-19. Significance: Uncovering the mechanisms of IL-13-induced hyaluronan matrices and signaling has the promise of novel therapeutic approaches directed at the IL-13 - hyaluronan pathway, for acute and long term COVID-19, as well as being of importance for other pulmonary diseases where hyaluronan is known to contribute. Investigators: The application is the product of over two years of collaboration between investigators at the University of Virginia (UVA) and the University of Manchester. At UVA MPI William Petri brings expertise as a virologist and…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01HL171283-03: Role of Hyaluronan in IL-13-mediated COVID-19 Pathology (2026)
- 5R01AI147394-07: Host cellular network governing the development of post SARS-CoV-2 tissue sequelae (2026)
- 1R01AI189721-01A1: Decoding cellular networks governing respiratory mucosal IgA immunity (2026)
- 5R01HL170961-04: Uncover mechanisms underlying the development of chronic lung sequelae post COVID-19 (2026)
- 1R01HL182700-01A1: Immune determinants of lung sequelae post-acute viral infection (2026)
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