Project Grant R21AI203589

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Rutgers The State University of New Jersey $431,750 on September 1, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to define the impact of phosphatidylserine-targeting antibodies on T cell function in HIV-1 infection.

The research investigates how phosphatidylserine-reactive antibodies, produced endogenously during HIV-1 infection, influence T cell dysregulation and immune activation in people living with HIV-1. Despite effective antiretroviral therapy, this population exhibits persistent immune activation and chronic inflammation that contribute to non-AIDS comorbidities and premature immune senescence. Preliminary studies show that phosphatidylserine antibody titers negatively correlate with CD4 T cell counts and positively correlate with CD8 T cell expansion, and that phosphatidylserine-binding monoclonal antibodies reduce inhibitory checkpoint expression and enhance antigen-stimulated T cell responses. The project will characterize the biological mechanisms and therapeutic potential of these naturally induced antibodies as a host-directed therapeutic strategy.

The award is a Project Grant assistance type with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. Work is performed in Newark, New Jersey. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, operates through its Robert Wood Johnson Health Sciences division, with the School of Nursing as the primary recipient entity. The school conducts biomedical and health services research across infectious disease, immunology, and related areas, with substantial prior NIH funding concentration across the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and National Institute on Aging.