Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded The Methodist Hospital Research Institute a $491,663 Project Grant on February 3, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct investigator-initiated biomedical research. The project, titled "The Epigenetic Regulation of Alloimmune Stem-Like CD4+ T Cells," will be performed in Houston, Texas, and is scheduled for completion by January 31, 2031. This research grant supports fundamental scientific inquiry into the epigenetic mechanisms governing T cell stemness, specifically examining how Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase within the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), regulates the self-renewal and differentiation capacity of alloreactive stem-like CD4+ T cells.

The grant funds research aimed at understanding how EZH2 deletion or inhibition disrupts T cell stemness, with the ultimate objective of developing therapeutic interventions to prevent transplant rejection. Preliminary data demonstrates that EZH2 inhibition enables long-term acceptance of heart allografts in murine models, suggesting potential clinical applications in transplantation medicine. The research deliverables will include scientific findings, experimental methodologies, and data advancing understanding of T cell immunobiology and alloimmune responses, contributing to the NIH's broader mission of improving health outcomes through investigation of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.