Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $886,942 to the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason on June 17, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). This Project Grant supports investigator-initiated biomedical research designed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying commensal-specific CD8+ T cell differentiation, regulation, and dysregulation in the intestinal epithelium. The research addresses a significant gap in immunological understanding by investigating how CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes respond to gut microbiota under normal homeostasis and how aberrant immune responses to commensal microbes contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The research initiative, to be completed by May 31, 2031, will generate scientific knowledge regarding the properties and functions of commensal-specific T cell responses in barrier tissue immunity and disease pathology. Expected outputs include mechanistic insights into how CD8+ T cell responses are primed and regulated in response to commensal microbiota, characterization of functional restraint mechanisms in intraepithelial lymphocytes under homeostasis, and identification of factors that lead to dysregulation in IBD. These findings are intended to establish a foundation for developing novel therapeutic approaches targeting aberrant commensal-specific T cell responses in inflammatory bowel disease and related barrier tissue pathologies.