Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a K08 Mentored Career Development Project Grant of $163,188 to The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, with an award date of June 8, 2026, under CFDA 93.837 (Cardiovascular Diseases Research). This five-year grant, extending through May 31, 2031, funds research to characterize the role of CXCR6+ T-cells in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced myocarditis, a rare but life-threatening cardiac inflammation that occurs as an adverse effect of cancer immunotherapy. The research leverages preliminary findings from a preclinical mouse model demonstrating that blocking CXCR6 mitigates myocarditis phenotypes, providing a potential therapeutic pathway.

The project delivers basic science research outputs across two primary aims: (1) characterization of CXCR6+ T-cell subtypes and determination of their necessity and sufficiency in driving ICI-myocarditis, and (2) identification and characterization of CXCL16-expressing cardiac cells and their role in recruiting and positioning CXCR6+ T-cells in the cardiac microenvironment. The work will be conducted under the primary mentorship of Dr. Javid Moslehi, an established expert in cardio-oncology and ICI-myocarditis mechanisms, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and genetic mouse models to advance understanding of ICI-related cardiac toxicity and inform potential clinical interventions.