Federal Grant Award Summary

National Jewish Health received a $776,394 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 19, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2031. The award funds biomedical research investigating prenatal programming of immune cells, specifically examining how maternal exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) triggers airway remodeling and asthma predisposition in offspring. The research employs mouse models to elucidate mechanisms by which harmful maternal environmental exposures trigger developmental shifts in mast cell (MC) function from pro-inflammatory responses toward anti-inflammatory and tissue-reparative activities, with the goal of advancing scientific understanding of asthma pathogenesis independent of classical inflammatory pathways.

The project delivers research products including investigational findings on embryonic growth impairment, mesenchymal cell activation, and the role of a novel MC subset in mediating tissue repair responses. Research methodologies encompass single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), flow cytometry analysis, and adoptive transfer experiments to characterize MC phenotypes and functional mechanisms. These research outputs contribute to fundamental knowledge of asthma endotypes and may inform future therapeutic interventions targeting tissue remodeling pathways, supporting NIAID's mission to advance biomedical research on allergic and immunologic diseases affecting public health.