Collaborative research brings bench findings to patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome
When the world was gripped by the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of McGovern Medical School investigators came together with a singular mission: to help the sickest patients battling severe lung injury, known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Amid fear and uncertainty, these researchers launched a multisite clinical trial that enrolled nearly 450 patients, testing a promising new approach to lung protection.
Led by a collaboration between emergency medicine and anesthesiology experts, the trial explored the use of vadadustat—a hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer already approved for treating anemia in dialysis patients—as a potential therapy for COVID-19-associated lung injury. The results, published in JCI Insight, identified HIF1A as a therapeutic target, showing that vadadustat could help reduce inflammation and promote lung recovery in critically ill patients.
“This project for us is somewhat of a dream come true,” said Xiaoyi Yuan, PhD, whose lab had long studied HIF’s protective mechanisms. “It’s quite rare for what you’re working on in the basic translation laboratory can actually be implemented in the treatment of our patients.”
The trial’s success was built on deep collaboration: emergency physicians enrolled and cared for patients, biostatisticians shaped the study design, and younger faculty gained invaluable experience in clinical research. Importantly, the trial showed no significant safety concerns, paving the way for a second, more ambitious study focused on even sicker patients.
“We saw a very high likelihood that vadadustat would be beneficial in preventing ARDS during COVID-19,” said Holger Eltzschig, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine. “So, we think that people who have severe pathogen-associated lung injury are highly likely to benefit from this drug.”
As the next phase begins, the McGovern team continues to build on its foundation of science, compassion, and resilience—bringing hope to patients when they need it most.
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