Federal Project Grant Award Summary

This $235,500 project grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) was awarded to Thomas Jefferson University on July 2, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. The research project investigates the molecular mechanisms governing the biogenesis and release of short immunostimulatory ribonucleic acids (RNAs), specifically transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived short non-coding RNAs that function as immune response mediators. The project advances understanding of host defense mechanisms against microbial pathogens by characterizing how 5-tRNA halves—a highly abundant class of transfer RNA-derived molecules bearing a 2,3-cyclic phosphate modification—are generated, exported, and activated as ligands for toll-like receptor 7 signaling.

The research deliverables include the development and application of specialized molecular tools to detect and characterize immunostimulatory short RNAs, including CP-RNA-SEQ (a cyclic phosphate-selective sequencing method) and tRNA half-specific assays for quantitative analysis. The project will elucidate unresolved mechanistic steps following tRNA anticodon-loop cleavage that yield distinct tRNA halves capable of selective export and immune activation via extracellular vesicles. These findings are expected to advance knowledge of innate immune pathways and may inform therapeutic approaches targeting tRNA-derived RNA-mediated immunity in infectious disease contexts.