Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded National Jewish Health a Project Grant of $388,025 under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846) effective June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2028. This award funds the development of novel murine and human research models to investigate the role of aberrant T cell subsets in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis. The research addresses a critical clinical need, as pulmonary fibrosis represents the primary cause of mortality in systemic sclerosis patients, yet the underlying immunological mechanisms driving lung disease remain poorly understood.

The funded project delivers two primary research objectives: (1) enhancement of the sclerodermatous graft versus host disease (SCGVHD) murine model through chemical lung treatment to increase disease manifestations, coupled with functional studies using precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) to identify pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic T cell subsets; and (2) establishment of human PCLS co-cultures using lung tissue from systemic sclerosis patients and healthy controls to characterize the capacity of patient-derived T cells to induce and sustain pulmonary fibrosis compared to healthy controls. These deliverables will generate mechanistic insights into T cell-driven fibrosis pathogenesis and contribute to the identification of potential therapeutic targets for treating systemic sclerosis pulmonary fibrosis.