The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was awarded a $153,568 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) to elucidate the role of interferon epsilon (IFN-ε) in mediating type I interferon responses against Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan parasite that causes the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection globally. The project aims to determine which steps in the IFN-ε-mediated type I interferon response are blocked by Trichomonas extracellular vesicles, and to investigate the role of IFN-ε and these vesicles during Trichomonas infection of vaginal epithelial cells and their interaction with neutrophils. This research is intended to increase understanding of how the parasite subverts a female reproductive tract-specific immune response that would otherwise be protective. The grant award period is from February 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
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