Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) a Project Grant of $666,065 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2031. This five-year research initiative investigates the molecular mechanisms by which B cells distinguish self from foreign antigens to mount appropriate immunogenic responses. The project leverages a modular liposome platform decorated with model antigens to study how particulate antigen display activates distinct transcriptional programs and biochemical pathways compared to soluble antigen forms, with particular focus on the role of the Src family tyrosine kinase Lyn in mediating tolerogenic versus immunogenic B cell responses.

The research deliverables include identification of proximal biochemical pathways downstream of Lyn that enable B cells to differentiate between tolerogenic and immunogenic antigen presentations through targeted editing of mouse and human B cells both in vitro and in vivo, complemented by unbiased proteomics approaches to identify novel negative regulators of B cell responses. The long-term objectives of this research are to restore B cell tolerance in autoimmune conditions, enhance anti-tumor B cell responses to self-like antigens, and optimize host defense mechanisms, thereby advancing fundamental immunological knowledge with potential therapeutic applications across multiple disease domains.