Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a $795,464 Project Grant to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) effective July 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). This research initiative investigates adaptive-like natural killer (NK) cell responses in cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation within the pulmonary system. The research will employ two independent aims utilizing mouse models of CMV reactivation and established human lung transplant cohorts to elucidate mechanisms by which CMV-specific NK cell immune responses may potentiate lung damage following transplantation.

The primary deliverables under this award include fundamental research findings on local CMV-specific NK cell immune responses in the lung, characterization of adaptive NK cell differentiation patterns in response to CMV reactivation, and mechanistic insights into how these adaptive NK cell populations contribute to post-transplant lung injury. By examining tissue-resident NK cell populations and their differentiation in both preclinical models and clinical populations of 56 lung transplant recipients, this research addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding immune dysregulation associated with CMV and its implications for transplant outcomes and other pulmonary complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related pulmonary disease.