Blood-vessel gateway cells that guide immune cells into lymph nodes
Official title: Progenitor Cells for High Endothelium in the Immune Response
Funded at Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research · NIH-11345585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how special blood-vessel cells form and change to let immune cells enter lymph nodes during inflammation, which matters for people with autoimmune disease and atherosclerosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2017 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $638,104 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI130471-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with autoimmune conditions or chronic inflammatory diseases, including those with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, would be the most relevant candidates for sample donation or for future therapies informed by this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to immune-driven inflammation or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic science project right away.
What this research studies
From a patient viewpoint, researchers are mapping the different blood vessel cell types in lymph nodes and tracing capillary progenitor cells that become the specialized “high” endothelial venules (HEV) that allow immune cells through. They will use molecular atlases, cell-level profiling, imaging, and laboratory experiments to find the pathways that control progenitor behavior, HEV shape and metabolism, and the fate decision toward lymphocyte-recruiting HEV. The team will manipulate candidate pathways in experimental systems to see which changes block or promote HEV formation and function. Findings aim to link detailed cell maps to the molecular switches that drive inflammatory blood-vessel changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to limit harmful immune cell entry in autoimmune diseases or chronic inflammation and possibly reduce inflammation-linked complications in atherosclerosis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has described HEV expansion and generated cell atlases, but the specific molecular pathways controlling progenitor-to-HEV conversion targeted here remain largely untested and are a novel focus.
Where this research is happening
-
Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Butcher, Eugene C — Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
- Study coordinator: Butcher, Eugene C
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.