Project Grant R21AI193666

Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Massachusetts Medical School received a $251,250 Project Grant (R21 mechanism) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028. The award funds exploratory research investigating the role of the SLC46A3 transporter protein in facilitating muropeptide transport and subsequent NOD2 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2) activation in the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how bacterial cell wall fragments (muropeptides) transit from the gut lumen to cytosolic NOD2 receptors, leveraging preliminary murine colitis model data suggesting that SLC46A3 knockout mice exhibit increased colitis susceptibility comparable to NOD2-deficient animals.

The research deliverables include scientific investigations examining the SLC46A3/NOD2 axis in the context of muropeptide transport and mouse models of IBD, with the objective of clarifying mechanisms underlying IBD pathogenesis and potentially identifying novel therapeutic targets. This exploratory research supports NIAID's broader mission to advance biomedical knowledge addressing infectious and immunologic disorders through investigator-initiated studies conducted at academic research institutions. The work will be performed at UMMS's Worcester, Massachusetts location.