Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason a $267,000 Project Grant on June 11, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct a 24-month research investigation concluding May 31, 2028. The research deliverables encompass a comprehensive immunological characterization study examining how the therapeutic monoclonal antibody risankizumab affects multiple immune cell populations in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. The project will generate scientific findings through quantification and phenotypic analysis of targeted immune cells—including T helper 17 (TH17) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, gamma-delta (γδ) T cells, and type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s)—utilizing advanced molecular techniques including gene expression analysis, T cell receptor sequencing, single-cell sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics applied to colon tissue samples.

The primary deliverable products include identification of predictive biomarkers that differentiate treatment responders from non-responders to IL-23 blockade therapy, detailed molecular characterization of immune cell microenvironments in vivo at disease sites, and evidence-based insights into the mechanistic pathways by which IL-23 blockade controls or fails to control CD pathology. These research findings are intended to advance clinical treatment decision-making and identify potential future molecular targets for preventing therapeutic failure in CD management.