Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Mayo Clinic received a $443,850 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective February 4, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028. The grant supports research investigating how intestinal exposure to Candida albicans in early life influences the developing immune system, specifically T cell responses and the production of inflammatory cytokines. The project addresses the growing epidemic of immune-mediated diseases in pediatric populations and seeks to clarify whether C. albicans initiates inflammation in at-risk individuals through acute infection or directly influences immune response development.

The research utilizes a neonatal C. albicans acquisition model developed by the Mayo Clinic team, wherein oral administration of C. albicans during early postnatal development produces stable colonization associated with microbial dysbiosis, elevated systemic IL-17 levels, increased Th17 (T helper 17) cells in the intestine, and disrupted regulatory T cells. The project will evaluate the mechanisms by which C. albicans exposure contributes to immune skewing and inflammatory disease development, with implications for understanding pediatric immune-mediated diseases and potential therapeutic interventions targeting fungal-induced immune dysfunction.