Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded The Regents of the University of Colorado-Denver a Project Grant of $763,102 beginning May 22, 2026, and concluding April 30, 2031, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award funds research investigating novel roles of mucosal tissue eosinophils in the dissemination of Type 2 immunity and allergic disease progression, specifically examining the "allergic march"—the natural progression of co-morbid allergic diseases along the skin-gut-lung axis within individual patients. The research addresses a critical knowledge gap by exploring how intestinal immune responses triggered by food allergies exacerbate allergic susceptibility in remote airways.

The research project delivers scientific knowledge and mechanistic insights through two primary aims: (1) elucidating the negative regulation of Type 2 immune dissemination mediated by intestine-adapted resident eosinophils using genetically modified mouse models and both allergen-dependent and allergen-independent in vivo models; and (2) determining the origin, phenotype, and tissue retention behavior of food allergen-elicited lung-infiltrating eosinophils through pulse-chase and lineage tracing methodologies. These investigative activities are designed to advance understanding of systemic mechanisms underlying allergic disease progression and inform potential therapeutic interventions for the estimated 50+ million U.S. individuals affected by allergic diseases.