Following immune fingerprints of tuberculosis-specific T cells over time

Longitudinal Analysis of Immune Signatures (IMS) of M. tuberculosis-specific T cells

NIH-funded research La Jolla Institute for Immunology · NIH-11095835

Researchers will follow adults with active or latent TB and BCG-vaccinated adults over time to look at how their T cells respond to TB and to treatment.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionLa Jolla Institute for Immunology NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project IDNIH-11095835 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be asked to give blood samples at multiple visits so researchers can identify TB-specific CD4 T cells and read their activity using lab tests, flow cytometry, and single-cell RNA sequencing. The project enrolls people with active TB starting treatment, people with latent TB who have no symptoms, and people who received BCG vaccination. Samples will be compared over time to find immune patterns that change with treatment or that differ between cleared versus ongoing infection. The goal is to find markers in T cells that track recovery or signal higher risk of progressing to active disease.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21 years and older) with active tuberculosis starting treatment, adults with latent TB infection, and adults who received BCG vaccination are the ideal participants.

Not a fit: Children under 21, people without any history of TB or BCG vaccination, and those unable to provide blood samples are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that predict who is responding to TB therapy and who with latent infection is at higher risk of developing active disease.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has identified immune markers linked to TB, but combining longitudinal sampling with single-cell RNA sequencing of TB-specific T cells is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

La Jolla, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.