Federal Grant Award Summary

The Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope received a $932,172 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The award supports the development of a novel pentavalent circular RNA (circRNA)-based Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) vaccine designed to address the significant public health burden of EBV-associated infectious mononucleosis, autoimmune diseases, and multiple cancers, which collectively account for approximately 350,000 new cancer cases and 200,000 deaths annually.

The primary product deliverable is a multivalent EBV vaccine platform expressing five viral glycoproteins (GP350, GB, GP42, GH, and GL) involved in viral entry and neutralizing antibody targets. Research activities will generate comprehensive immunogenicity and efficacy data through three complementary animal models—intravenous challenge in rabbits, oral challenge in common marmosets, and human B cell infection assessment in humanized mice—to evaluate protective antibody-mediated humoral responses and neutralizing antibody activity both in vitro and in vivo. This circRNA-based approach represents an advancement over traditional virus-like particle, viral vector, and conventional RNA vaccine platforms, with findings intended to support advancement of EBV vaccine development toward clinical application.