Commensal respiratory viruses and how they interact with the human airway
Official title: Defining Molecular Interactions Between Commensal Respiratory Viruses and the Human Host
Funded at J. David Gladstone Institutes · NIH-11456240 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH grant is exploring how the normal viruses living in our airways interact with our cells to stay harmless and support healthy breathing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | J. David Gladstone Institutes NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $378,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R03DE036186-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11456240 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with or without known airway disease who provide biological samples or participate in studies using patient-derived airway cells may contribute.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to research participation or those with unrelated respiratory conditions may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study the most common harmless viruses in the nose and lungs and how they connect with the human airway lining using advanced sequencing, protein mapping, and human airway organoids. They will create molecular clones of these viruses and observe how they infect cells and how the cells respond in a lab-grown, patient-relevant model. The project aims to map networks between viral and human proteins to understand why these commensal viruses persist without causing disease and how they might influence immunity and treatment responses. This work builds on the team’s prior methods and uses cutting-edge techniques to reveal host-virus interactions in people. The outcome could illuminate new angles for maintaining respiratory health and improving therapies for airway diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could reveal how beneficial airway viruses help keep immune balance and guide future therapies for respiratory health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that certain airway viruses can interact with host cells to influence immunity, but this project focuses on abundant commensal viruses and their specific host interactions, which is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
J. David Gladstone Institutes
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taha, Taha Yasin — J. David Gladstone Institutes
- Study coordinator: Taha, Taha Yasin
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.