Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Purdue University received a $775,740 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 June 24, 2026 through May 31, 2031. The award supports basic biomedical research focused on understanding the differentiation, fate, and function of pathogenic T helper cells in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The research investigates how CD4 T helper cells that produce granzyme A contribute to intestinal inflammation in recipients undergoing hematopoietic cell transfer cancer immunotherapy, with the objective of identifying therapeutic targets that can reduce intestinal GVHD without impairing anti-cancer immunity.

The grant funds a three-aim research program designed to identify the environmental signals and transcription factor networks that promote pathogenic granzyme A-producing T helper cells. Through this investigation at Purdue's West Lafayette, Indiana facility, researchers will develop a deeper understanding of how these cells differentiate and function as precursors to other inflammatory T cell subtypes, ultimately enabling selective therapeutic targeting of these pathogenic cells while preserving beneficial anti-cancer immune responses. This research addresses a significant clinical need, as GVHD currently affects 30–70 percent of hematopoietic cell transfer recipients and current treatments offer only partial effectiveness while potentially compromising anti-cancer immunity.