Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Benaroya Research Institute At Virginia Mason a $2.68M Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective February 20, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2030. The award funds comprehensive research to analyze epitope-specific CD4+ T cell responses in individuals at risk for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) before disease onset. The research will characterize longitudinal changes in autoreactive T cell populations, including their number, phenotype, and transcriptional programs, while examining T cell receptor sequence diversity and the expansion of disease-relevant epitopes. The study aims to identify pivotal shifts in T cell responses that drive disease progression and inform therapeutic monitoring strategies, particularly relevant given recent approval of teplizumab as a disease-delaying therapy for T1D.

The research deliverables include detailed immunological characterization of self-reactive T cell responses, identification of conventional and neoepitopes from beta cell antigens (including newly discovered GAD65 epitopes), and analysis of epitope spreading patterns in at-risk subjects. By establishing direct evidence of how self-reactive T cell responses evolve over time and how beta cell injury elicits neoepitope formation, the project addresses a significant knowledge gap in understanding CD4+ T cell involvement in autoimmune disease pathogenesis. The findings will advance understanding of disease mechanisms and provide actionable pathways for improved patient risk stratification and intervention timing in T1D progression.