Grant Award Summary

The University of Louisville's Office of Research & Innovation received a $152,600 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded October 1, 2026, with completion expected June 30, 2029. The grant funds research investigating the role of prostaglandins in Yersinia pestis infection and plague pathogenesis. The research addresses critical gaps in understanding how the bacterium manipulates host lipid mediators—specifically prostaglandins and leukotrienes—to suppress the inflammatory response and evade immune clearance during early infection. The project examines the molecular mechanisms by which Y. pestis uses its Type 3 Secretion System to differentially inhibit or promote prostaglandin synthesis across distinct immune cell populations (neutrophils, macrophages, and mast cells) and evaluates whether early-synthesized prostaglandins are beneficial or detrimental to the host during disease progression.

The deliverables consist of research findings, experimental data, and publications that will advance scientific understanding of host-pathogen interactions in plague infection and potentially inform novel therapeutic strategies targeting lipid mediator pathways to enhance immune responses against Y. pestis. The work is conducted at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, in accordance with NIH research grant requirements for record retention, audit compliance, and peer-reviewed scientific merit standards.