Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Weill Medical College of Cornell University received a $861,485 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The award funds basic immunological research investigating molecular mimicry as an immune-evasion mechanism, specifically examining how pathogen-derived peptides activate natural regulatory T cells (nTreg) to evade immunosurveillance. The research focuses on the TB9 peptide derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its sequence overlap with human self-peptides, with computational analysis indicating similar sequences exist across multiple bacterial and viral pathogens.

The research deliverables include characterization of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR1-restricted immune responses to shared pathogen peptides and comprehensive analysis of nTreg differentiation and activation mechanisms in both animal models and human subjects with active or latent tuberculosis infection. This five-year investigation is designed to establish whether pathogen peptides exploit molecular mimicry of self-peptide sequences to promote immune escape, with potential implications for understanding cross-pathogen immune-evasion strategies and informing therapeutic interventions in infectious disease management.