Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Illinois received a $174,560 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2030. The award supports research investigating the immunological mechanisms underlying the "immune paradox" in sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory disease characterized by dysregulated immune responses and granulomatous inflammation. The research will utilize single-cell omic analyses to examine aberrant transcriptomic networks and interactions between lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells in sarcoidosis patients presenting with peripheral lymphopenia (reduced circulating lymphocytes), CD4+ T-cell anergy, and exhaustion—conditions paradoxically associated with increased inflammatory activity and disease progression.

The project is performed at the University of Illinois Chicago campus and aims to elucidate how compromised CD4+ effector T-cell function impairs immune surveillance, ultimately leading to unmitigated inflammation and persistent granulomatous infiltration. By identifying the cellular and molecular drivers of persistent inflammation in sarcoidosis, this research is expected to establish a foundation for developing more effective therapeutic interventions for patients at risk of progression to end-stage pulmonary fibrosis, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient population.