Molecular imaging of chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) in experimental acute lung injury

sion medicine management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Here, we determined the potential of positron emission tomography (PET) of chemokine-like receptor-1 (CMKLR1) to monitor lung inflammation in a murine model of lipopolNODAGA-CG34, was significantly increased in lipopolysaccharide-induced injury, correlated with the expression of multiple inflammatory markers, and reduced by dexamethasone treatment. Monocyte-derived macrophages, followed by interstitial macrophages and monocytes were the major CMKLR1-expressing leukocytes contributing to the increased tracer uptake throughout the first week of lipopolysaccharide-induced injury. The clinical relevance of CMKLR1 as a biomarker of lung inflammation in ARDS was confirmed using single-nuclei RNA-sequencing datasets which showed significant increases in CMKLR1 expression among transcriptionally distinct subsets of lung monocytes and macrophages in COVID-19 patients vs. controls. CMKLR1-targeted PET is a promising strategy to monitor the dynamics of lung inflammation and response to anti-inflammatory treatment in ARDS.