Project Grant R01AI193023

Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a $868,915 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031. This five-year research initiative will investigate the role of ANKEF1, a ciliary protein implicated in host defense against influenza virus infection. The research will deliver scientific findings on how ANKEF1 regulates ciliary function and antiviral immune responses through three primary research objectives: (1) assessment of how ANKEF1 deficiency alters ciliary beat frequency and motility in airway epithelium and its effects on viral replication; (2) characterization of disease progression in ANKEF1-deficient mouse models, including viral titers, immune responses, and tissue damage through single-cell RNA sequencing; and (3) definition of ANKEF1's modulation of ciliary function and host defense mechanisms.

The research employs multiple methodological approaches including novel mouse models, human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived airway epithelial cultures, targeted proteomics, and transcriptomic analyses to elucidate mechanisms underlying severe influenza outcomes in otherwise healthy individuals. Work will be performed at the awardee's location in New York, NY 10029. The project addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding genetic factors that predispose individuals to life-threatening influenza complications such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and encephalitis, with potential implications for understanding host defense mechanisms in infectious disease.