Federal Project Grant Summary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology received a $100,228 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded November 7, 2026, with completion targeted for August 31, 2029. The grant funds basic research investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying T cell allorecognition in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) responses following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The research will employ repertoire-scale examination using single major histocompatibility complex-mismatched bone marrow transplant and tumor models to characterize alloreactive T cell receptor sequences and determine how donor T cells simultaneously mount beneficial anti-cancer responses while triggering harmful attacks on healthy host tissues.

The deliverables from this project will advance scientific understanding of a critical clinical problem in transplantation immunology. By deconstructing the molecular interactions driving both GVHD and GVL responses at the T cell repertoire level, the research aims to provide foundational knowledge that could inform future strategies to enhance cancer-fighting effects while mitigating tissue toxicity. The work directly supports the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program's mission to advance biomedical research on immunologic and infectious diseases through competitive, merit-based investigation conducted at a premier research institution.