Project Grant R21AI199564

FEDERAL GRANT AWARD SUMMARY

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) a Project Grant totaling $258,584 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on July 9, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2028. This award supports research investigating the regulation of disease progression and therapeutic response in multiple sclerosis (MS) through examination of the gut microbiota. The project deliverables include longitudinal microbiota composition analysis using 16S sequencing to identify baseline gut microbiome signatures that distinguish disease progressors from non-progressors, investigation of the role of Akkermansia muciniphila and other microbial taxa in MS pathogenesis, and mechanistic studies examining the CD40/CD40L costimulatory pathway as it relates to disease progression and response to anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody therapeutics currently in Phase II clinical trials.

The research addresses a critical gap in MS clinical management by developing biomarkers and prognostic indicators to enable personalized therapeutic approaches and reduce unnecessary exposure to high-risk early aggressive interventions. Deliverables will include peer-reviewed publications characterizing microbiota signatures associated with MS progression, identification of mechanistic links between specific bacterial taxa and disease severity, and data supporting the clinical utility of microbiota-based prognostic tools. These research outputs are expected to advance understanding of how environmental factors—specifically the gut microbiome—interact with genetic and other risk factors to modulate MS disease course and treatment response.