Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $790,946 to the Trustees of Indiana University (Indiana University Indianapolis) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct biomedical research investigating dysregulation of humoral immunity following Plasmodium infection. The award, obligated on February 10, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of January 31, 2031, supports a five-year research project examining why Plasmodium infections fail to generate long-lasting protective antibody responses despite repeated exposure. The research focuses on determining how Plasmodium infections impair germinal center (GC) B cell function and bone marrow (BM) homeostasis, which normally drive the development of long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) responsible for sustained antibody production. Preliminary findings indicate that Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL-infected mice generate robust initial GC responses but produce inefficient LLPCs with reduced immunoglobulin G (IgG) production and affinity compared to traditional vaccine responses, suggesting dysregulated humoral immunity programming.

This investigation directly addresses a significant gap in malaria immunology by elucidating mechanisms underlying chronic malaria pathogenesis and the absence of durable immunity following limited Plasmodium exposures. The research has potential to inform vaccine development strategies and therapeutic interventions targeting improved antibody responses in malaria-endemic populations. The work is conducted at Indiana University Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, an established research institution with extensive federal funding capacity across multiple National Institutes of Health institutes and infectious disease research expertise.