Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Massachusetts General Hospital a $785,998 Project Grant (CFDA 93.855: Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, to conduct investigative research on sensory neuron metabolic remodeling and neuroimmune memory in allergic disease. The project will deliver scientific research services focused on defining cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying allergen detection and allergic immunity initiation. Specifically, the research will investigate how protease allergens induce mitochondrial remodeling in allergen-sensing TRPV1+ sensory neurons through mTORC1-dependent pathways, establishing a "neuroimmune training" state that amplifies immune responses upon re-exposure. The project comprises two primary research aims: (1) mapping mTORC1-dependent metabolic and mitochondrial remodeling in neurons and identifying allergen-responsive neuronal subsets that create dendritic cell-enriched skin niches, and (2) establishing the role, mechanisms, and durability of neuroimmune training in lowering the threshold for allergic immune initiation.

The research will be performed at Massachusetts General Hospital's Research Management Division in Charlestown, Massachusetts, leveraging the institution's translational research infrastructure and expertise in immunologic disease mechanisms. As a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and major NIH research performer, MGH will deliver biomedical research services contributing to the field's understanding of allergic disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. The award represents part of NIAID's broader portfolio supporting investigator-initiated research grants addressing infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases across basic and translational science domains.