Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $466,125 Project Grant to New York University School of Medicine on January 29, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award funds research investigating the role of CD69 protein in established resident memory T cells (TRM), with completion targeted for December 31, 2027. This fundamental immunology research seeks to elucidate why TRM maintain high surface CD69 expression despite being non-activated memory cells, and examines the functional relationship between CD69 and sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) in mediating T cell trafficking and rapid response upon pathogen re-exposure. The research will contribute to understanding how TRM provide rapid immune defense at infection sites while clarifying mechanisms that may underlie TRM-mediated pathogenic inflammation in autoimmune conditions.

The project addresses a critical gap in immunological knowledge by testing the hypothesis that CD69-mediated retention of TRM at barrier tissues enables accelerated immune responses to re-infection, contrasting with circulating T cells that arrive more slowly but sustain longer-term immunity. Deliverables will include experimental data characterizing CD69 signaling pathways, comparative analysis of CD69-deficient versus wild-type TRM function, and mechanistic insights into inflammatory monocyte recruitment during secondary immune challenges. These research findings are anticipated to advance vaccine development strategies and inform therapeutic approaches for managing recurrent autoimmune inflammation while optimizing protective immunity.