Project Grant R01DK142104

This federal Project Grant award R01DK142104 is provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847). The $656,001 grant is awarded to the University of Illinois to examine the mechanistic basis for transdifferentiation between innate lymphoid cells (ILC) type 3 and type 2, and to elucidate the roles these plastic ILCs play in vivo. The research aims to understand the environmental factors and mechanisms regulating ILC3 identity and plasticity, as well as to clarify the active conversion from ILC3 to ILC2 cells in response to tissue-specific factors under ILC2-intensive conditions. By utilizing fate mapping mouse models, the researchers will gather phenotypic, transcriptomic, and chromatin accessibility data to capture the functional status and transdifferentiation potential of these ILC populations. The insights gained are expected to advance the current understanding of ILC plasticity, enabling better control of the ILC balance in vivo during infection, inflammation, and intestinal damage repair.