Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Maryland, Baltimore $233,250 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on June 26, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2028. The project develops plant-derived nanoparticles as a novel immunotherapy to treat sepsis, a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition responsible for approximately 20% of global deaths with no current FDA-approved survival-improving therapy. The research centers on optimizing triglyceride-ceramide nanoparticles (TCNPs) that mirror the anti-inflammatory lipid composition of naturally derived maca-derived lipid nanoparticles (MDNPs), which demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models by reducing systemic inflammatory markers and improving survival in endotoxemia and polymicrobial sepsis models through an inflammation-scavenging mechanism.

The funded work addresses critical barriers to clinical translation by establishing scalable, reproducible synthesis methods for TCNPs that overcome the extremely low isolation yields of naturally derived MDNPs (4 mg per 30 mg plant material). Deliverables include optimized TCNP formulations validated for cytokine sequestration capacity, multimodal protein corona formation characterization using healthy and sepsis patient plasma samples, and efficacy evaluation of immunomodulatory drug-encapsulated variants (such as dexamethasone-loaded TCNPs) to support advancement toward preclinical development and eventual clinical application in sepsis management.