Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Brigham & Women's Hospital, Inc. received a $193,600 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The award supports fundamental immunological research aimed at identifying and characterizing the epigenetic mechanisms and cell-cell interactions that sustain chronic allergic disease through the maintenance of a newly identified T helper 2 multipotent progenitor (TH2-MPP) cell population. The research involves creating a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of human allergic tissues and conducting functional studies to understand how aberrant signaling networks enable TH2-MPP cells to self-renew despite chronic antigen exposure.

The funded research employs complementary human and mouse immunology approaches to investigate candidate pathways driving TH2-MPP maintenance. Deliverables include scientific findings regarding chromatin states and signaling mechanisms in type 2 lymphocytes within barrier tissues, along with the development and characterization of a mouse model of chronic pulmonary type 2 inflammation with temporal conditional genetic ablation of putative regulatory targets. This work is designed to generate fundamental insights into the molecular basis of allergic disease persistence, with potential implications for developing novel therapeutic interventions targeting the TH2 cell progenitor reservoir underlying chronic allergic conditions.