Genetic and epigenetic control of T cell function in autoimmune disease
Official title: Investigating Genetic and Epigenetic Control of T Cell Function in Autoimmunity
Funded at Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason · NIH-11612654 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant aims to understand how genetic and epigenetic changes affect how T cells behave in autoimmune diseases to find ways to reduce harmful immune responses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,068,000 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2AI183504-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11612654 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with autoimmune diseases who participate in immune-phenotyping studies or future trials testing therapies that modify T cell regulation.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals whose autoimmune condition is not driven by the studied T cell regulatory mechanisms may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
Autoimmune diseases affect millions and are driven by genetic factors that influence how T cells recognize self-antigens. The project builds on prior work identifying disease-linked genetic variants and tests how these variants change regulatory DNA activity in T cells, using allele-specific reporter assays. By focusing on T cell regulation, the research seeks to pinpoint variants that shift T cell function toward pathology and uncover potential intervention points. The approach combines genetic analysis with functional assays to map variant effects to immune cell behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to targeted strategies that modulate T cell activity to lessen autoimmune inflammation and improve quality of life for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior methods have identified regulatory variants in T cells; this project extends those findings with allele-specific assays to map causal variants in autoimmune contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ray, John Philip — Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
- Study coordinator: Ray, John Philip
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.