Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded Stony Brook University a $738,152 Project Grant effective July 1, 2026, through April 30, 2030, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847). The award funds basic biomedical research investigating IL-17A-mediated regulation of stromal and epithelial cell interactions in the intestine. The research aims to elucidate molecular mechanisms through which IL-17A promotes mucosal host defense and support epithelial regeneration, with particular focus on IL-17A receptor signaling in intestinal mesenchymal stromal cell subsets including telocytes and trophocytes. This work addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding IL-17A's paradoxical protective role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), contrasting with the unsuccessful application of anti-IL-17A therapies in IBD treatment despite their efficacy in psoriasis.

The research deliverables include three defined aims: characterizing IL-17A-dependent regulatory pathways in specific intestinal stromal cell subsets; investigating how stromal cell function supports epithelial regeneration; and exploring stromal cell-induced epithelial reprogramming mechanisms. The research is performed at Stony Brook University's facilities in Stony Brook, New York, with fiscal administration through The Research Foundation for the State University of New York's Sponsored Programs Office. The project contributes to NIDDK's mission to advance understanding of digestive disease mechanisms and develop improved prevention and treatment approaches through investigator-initiated biomedical research.