Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Florida a Project Grant totaling $610,971 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective February 3, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. This award supports investigator-initiated biomedical research focused on understanding the role of the host ubiquitin ligase CUL4B in gammaherpesvirus latency and lymphomagenesis. The research utilizes the mouse gammaherpesvirus (MHV68) model to elucidate mechanisms by which gammaherpesviruses establish lifelong latency in B cells and drive lymphoma development, with particular emphasis on comparing infected germinal center B cells with antigen-activated germinal center B cells to define CUL4B's functional contribution to viral pathogenesis.

The deliverables under this award include fundamental scientific research outcomes designed to advance mechanistic understanding of viral latency establishment and lymphoma formation in gammaherpesvirus infection. By identifying and characterizing the role of CUL4B in supporting germinal center B cell activation pathways during chronic viral infection, this research is intended to provide the scientific foundation for future vaccine and therapeutic development targeting gammaherpesviruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which currently affects over 90 percent of the global population and presents significant oncogenic risk, particularly among immunocompromised populations.