HOXB7 and Linked Tissue and Blood Biomarkers in the Lungs of Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07373288

Acronym

HOGWARTS

Enrollment

Registered

2026-01-28

Start date

2023-07-01

Completion date

2030-07-01

Last updated

2026-02-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Fibrosis, Pulmonary

Keywords

Idiopathic pulmonary fiborsis, Criobiopsy, Lung proteomic, Lung transcriptomic

Brief summary

This pilot, multicenter, interventional study investigates the expression of HOXB7 and its associated molecular pathway in lung tissue and blood-derived exosomes from patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and proteomic analysis via mass spectrometry (MS), the study aims to identify tissue and circulating biomarkers associated with fibrosis progression. The study compares different biopsy techniques (surgical vs. transbronchial cryobiopsy) and also includes a control group of patients undergoing lung resection for non-fibrotic conditions.

Interventions

PROCEDUREBiopsy

This is a non-therapeutic, observational sampling study. Procedures include: Lung tissue sampling via: Surgical biopsy Transbronchial cryobiopsy Explanted lungs from transplant patients Blood sampling for exosome analysis

Study design

Observational model

CASE_CONTROL

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Adults aged 18 to 80 with clinical suspicion of pulmonary fibrosis * Availability of fresh lung tissue from biopsy or lung explant * Signed informed consent for research use of biological material and data

Exclusion criteria

\- Refusal to sign informed consent

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
HOXB7 Expression	Baseline	HOXB7 gene and protein expression in lung biopsy samples

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Assessment of RNA content	Baseline	Comparison of RNA content between surgical and cryobiopsy samples Identification of HOXB7-positive LR-MSCs from fresh biopsy tissue Exosomal biomarkers associated with HOXB7 expression in serum Feasibility and yield of RNA-Seq and proteomics from fresh vs. snap-frozen tissues
Assessment of proteins content	Baseline	Comparison of protein content between surgical and cryobiopsy samples

Countries

Italy

Contacts

CONTACTRoberto Tonelli

rtonelli@unimore.it+390594225934

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026