{"id":144088,"date":"2026-05-05T12:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/?post_type=bu-article&p=144088"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:38:19","slug":"analyses-of-human-lungs-reveal-seven-subphenotypes-of-pneumonia","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/news-events\/articles\/2026\/analyses-of-human-lungs-reveal-seven-subphenotypes-of-pneumonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Analyses of Human Lungs Reveal Seven Subphenotypes of Pneumonia"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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Microscope image from the lung of someone who died with pneumonia, with different types of immune cells showing up as different colors.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Analyses of Human Lungs Reveal Seven Subphenotypes of Pneumonia<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sub-phenotypes of pneumonia suggest a foundation for developing and testing therapies for patients<\/em>. <\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n
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May 5, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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Pneumonia is responsible for a tremendous burden of disease worldwide. In the U.S., it is a leading cause of death due to infection, especially for those of advanced age. For survivors, pneumonia\u2019s lingering effects such as reduced lung function, scarring and new or worsened respiratory issues like asthma or COPD, may accelerate unhealthy aging.  While pneumonia is fundamentally a disease of the lung tissue characterized by inflammation and alveolar damage, medical science has historically relied on symptoms, imaging (X-rays), and microbiological cultures (microbe-directed) to classify the disease, rather than analyzing the specific cellular damage and structural changes in the lungs (histopathology) to create personalized treatment subgroups (subphenotyping).

In a new study<\/a>, researchers have identified seven different forms of pneumonia. This is the first systematic examination of pulmonary histopathology during pneumonia, resulting in a new framework for understanding pneumonia heterogeneity based on cellular resolution of lung biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creating a better understanding of the multiple distinct biological processes that damage the lungs during pneumonia will guide innovative approaches to treating and possibly preventing pneumonia <\/div>