Federal Project Grant Summary

Harvard Medical School, operating through the President and Fellows of Harvard College, received a $835,269 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), with an award date of February 6, 2026, and a completion date of January 31, 2031. The research conducted at the Boston, MA facility focuses on deciphering cytokine regulation of lymphocyte trafficking and high endothelial venule (HEV) formation and maintenance. Specifically, the project investigates how endothelial cell signaling through CD130, a shared signaling subunit of IL-6 family cytokine receptors, regulates HEV in secondary lymphoid organs and tertiary lymphoid tissues, with implications for developing new therapeutic approaches in cancer immunotherapy and inflammatory disease treatment.

The research deliverables include mechanistic studies examining the formation and maintenance of HEV through conditional knockout mouse models, characterization of HEV frequency, morphology, and function in steady-state secondary lymphoid organs, and exploration of signaling pathways involving lymphotoxin B, lymphoma inhibitory factor (LIF), and oncostatin M (OSM). These findings are intended to support the development of pharmacologic interventions targeting HEV that could advance treatments for cancer immunotherapy and inflammatory conditions, with the results disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific publications and presentations within the immunology and infectious disease research community.