Project Grant F32AI178962

This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), is providing $162,512 to the Regents of the University of Minnesota to investigate the factors that support the expansion and function of long-lived effector CD8 T cells within the memory compartment.

The key objectives are to determine what pro-inflammatory cytokines and other factors promote the formation and persistence of these long-lived effector CD8 T cells, as well as how exposing mice to a broader range of pathogens alters the function of these cells and their ability to respond to systemic and local infections. The research leverages RNA sequencing and CRISPR genetic knockout techniques to identify the critical mechanisms driving this T cell population. Findings from this 3-year project will yield important insights into the impacts of pathogen exposure and inflammation on the CD8 T cell memory compartment, which can inform the development of more effective vaccines and T cell therapies.