Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded The Washington University a Project Grant totaling $664,076 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) beginning April 1, 2026, and concluding March 31, 2031. This research award funds investigator-initiated biomedical research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin (HLA) impairs antigen-specific T cell responses and adaptive immunity. The project leverages complementary human clinical studies of S. aureus-infected children and experimental perturbation models in mice to examine immunologic correlates of recurrent infection and advance vaccine development strategies targeting this highly conserved virulence factor.

The research deliverables include scientific knowledge advancing understanding of HLA's role in modulating protective immunity against S. aureus infection, with particular focus on mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated adaptive immunity suppression. This work addresses a significant public health need, as S. aureus infection causes substantial morbidity and mortality in otherwise healthy populations, and multiple human vaccine candidates have failed in clinical trials. The research will contribute to the scientific foundation necessary for developing an effective S. aureus vaccine by identifying how naturally occurring immunity to HLA correlates with human protection against disease and determining the molecular basis for HLA-mediated immune evasion.