Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded The Ohio State University a Project Grant of $692,930 on June 22, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). This five-year award, with an ultimate completion date of May 31, 2031, funds mechanistic research examining the regulation of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) binding receptors during human Natural Killer (NK) cell development. The research focuses on identifying and characterizing NK cell developmental intermediates in human tissues and determining how their differentiation and maturation are regulated, with particular emphasis on Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) expression during the NK cell developmental pathway.

The project addresses fundamental gaps in understanding NK cell biology relevant to multiple clinical applications, including immune surveillance against infection and cancer, graft-versus-leukemia effects in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and maternal immune function during pregnancy. The research aims to elucidate how early-stage NK cell developmental intermediates are primed within specific microenvironments prior to KIR acquisition, and to clarify the paradoxical inhibitory role of Interleukin-15 (IL-15) during NK cell priming—findings that challenge existing immunological understanding and carry implications for NK cell-mediated therapies.