Federal Grant Award Summary

Boston University Medical Campus received a $245,250 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 9, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028. The grant supports research investigating the mechanisms of alternative macrophage activation in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), specifically examining the phenotypes and genesis of arginase 1 (ARG1)-positive myeloid cells in TB lesions. The research utilizes a genetic mouse model of chronic pulmonary TB to characterize how alternative M2 macrophage polarization markers are expressed in peripheral blood and bone marrow myeloid cells during TB progression, with the objective of understanding lung vulnerability to TB and identifying mechanisms that could inform the development of more efficacious vaccines and therapeutics.

The research deliverables include characterization of specific cell populations expressing ARG1+ messenger RNA at various TB disease stages, identification of surface markers co-expressed on these cells, and analysis of how lung damage-associated signals induce M2-committed myeloid progenitors in bone marrow prior to their recruitment to lung lesions. This basic science investigation is designed to elucidate the relationship between alternatively activated macrophages and TB pathogenesis, with implications for improving understanding of pulmonary TB progression and informing future therapeutic intervention strategies.