Project Grant R21AI191616

Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $439,375 to the University of California, San Diego under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on February 20, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028. This Project Grant supports the development and validation of S protein as a novel vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus (GAS), a pathogen responsible for approximately 700 million infections and 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. The research builds upon published data demonstrating that S protein is a required GAS virulence factor and preliminary findings showing that recombinant S protein-immunized animals display robust reduction in bacterial load compared to control animals in skin infection models.

The funded research will advance the preclinical validation of S protein as a protective vaccine by leveraging its advantages over the traditional M protein antigen, including near-identical sequences across GAS serotypes, absence of cross-reactive human sequences, and superior immunogenic properties. The research team will conduct additional studies to confirm S protein's protective efficacy, characterize immune responses, and validate cross-reactivity of anti-S protein antibodies across multiple GAS serotypes. This investigation addresses a critical public health need by pursuing a promising approach to develop a universal vaccine against a major global infectious disease threat in an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance.