Federal Project Grant Summary

The University of Utah received a $454,482 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2028. This Maximizing Investigators' Research Career (MPI) R21 award supports the development of an annotated biorepository of thymic tissue samples collected from individuals with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and age-matched control subjects. The primary deliverable is a well-characterized biological resource that enables systematic examination of thymic development and immune dysfunction in Down syndrome, addressing gaps in current research that has predominantly focused on B cell dysfunction while largely neglecting the role of inadequate thymic selection marked by reduced thymic output and premature thymic involution.

The research team, collaborating with Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, will create a comprehensive, deeply profiled biorepository to investigate how the extra chromosome 21 disrupts thymic selection processes and predisposes individuals with Down syndrome to immune dysfunction. By establishing human-derived thymic tissue samples rather than relying on murine models—which cannot fully replicate human chromosome 21 biology—the project will advance understanding of T cell developmental defects and the underlying mechanisms of broader immunopathology observed in Down syndrome, directly supporting the investigation of co-occurring conditions across the lifespan to understand Down syndrome (INCLUDE) initiative.