How antibodies recruit immune cells to fight viral infections
Official title: The role of cell, antigen, and antibody, in controlling virus infection through Fc-dependent mechanisms
Funded at Cardiff University · NIH-11251316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at ways to make antibodies better at calling in immune cells to clear viruses such as the coronavirus for people who are infected or at risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cardiff University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cardiff, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | December 23, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $307,828 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI186964-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal contributors would be people who can donate blood or other samples, such as recovered COVID‑19 patients, vaccinated individuals, or healthy volunteers willing to provide specimens.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate therapeutic benefit are unlikely to benefit directly because the project focuses on laboratory discovery rather than a treatment trial.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are identifying which parts of a virus (antigens and epitopes) and which antibody features best trigger immune cells to kill infected cells through ADCC, ADCP, and complement. They will run lab experiments using virus‑infected cells, ex vivo immune cells, and proteomics to measure how different antibody–antigen combinations perform. The team plans to develop rules that predict which antigens produce strong Fc‑dependent responses and to use those rules to guide vaccine or antibody design. This work is primarily lab‑based at Cardiff University and may request blood or other sample donations rather than offering immediate treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to vaccines or antibody therapies that better enlist immune cells to reduce viral spread and disease severity.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies, including work by this team, have shown some antigens can provoke strong Fc‑dependent activity, but translating those findings into vaccines or therapies is still experimental.
Where this research is happening
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Cardiff University
Cardiff, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stanton, Richard — Cardiff University
- Study coordinator: Stanton, Richard
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.