The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $104,435 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to Duke University for the research project "B CELL-FIBROBLAST CROSSTALK PROMOTES CHRONIC GVHD OF THE LUNG." The objective is to delineate immune pathways that contribute to lung fibrosis in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The 2-year project aims to examine the mechanisms by which hyperactive Toll-like receptor 7 signaling in B cells drives fibroblast activation in the lung, as well as the role of the fibroblast extracellular matrix component hyaluronan in activating CGVHD B cells. This research is expected to provide insights into the role of B cells in promoting fibrosis in lung CGVHD, which can inform the development of targeted B cell therapies.
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