Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota a $192,500 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to develop and validate peptide-specific, major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI)-restricted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) regulatory T cells (Tregs) for type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment. The research addresses a critical limitation in current Treg immunotherapy by engineering antigen-specific "designer" Tregs that target islet-derived peptides, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target immunosuppression. The project will generate monoclonal antibodies to islet-specific antigenic peptides presented on MHCI, incorporate these into CAR constructs to create TCR-mimetic receptors, and evaluate whether the resulting peptide-specific MHCI-CAR-Tregs can prevent islet antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses. This technology represents a personalized approach to immunotherapy with potential to enhance long-term disease control and reduce systemic immunosuppression risks.

The award, issued July 14, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2028, is conducted at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus through the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration. Successful outcomes from this research are expected to advance the translational pipeline for CAR Treg-based therapies in autoimmune disease and demonstrate proof-of-concept for peptide-specific cell engineering approaches applicable to T1D and potentially other autoimmune conditions.