Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $564,436 Project Grant to the University of Maryland, Baltimore on July 13, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The grant supports basic biomedical research investigating lymph node structure and function in transplant tolerance, with a primary focus on defining the microstructural niche where regulatory T cells (Tregs) are induced and activated during costimulatory blockade-induced tolerance. The research examines the role of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and stromal laminin proteins in controlling immune responses, utilizing genetically modified mouse models (FRC LAMA5 knockout and FRC LAMA4 knockout strains) to elucidate mechanisms by which lymph node domains regulate alloantigen responses and graft survival outcomes.

The project, performing through June 30, 2031 at the Baltimore, Maryland campus, will generate fundamental knowledge regarding how specific stromal fiber compositions and FRC-derived structures instruct T cell differentiation and migration patterns within lymph nodes. Research deliverables will include characterization of novel mechanisms by which FRC regulate tolerance and immunity, with potential applications to improving transplant outcomes and manipulating immune responses. The work advances understanding of immunological tolerance mechanisms relevant to transplantation and infectious disease contexts, contributing to the NIAID program's objective of expanding biomedical research capacity in immunologic diseases.