How COVID-19 Evades the Immune System
Official title: SARS CoV-2 Immune Evasion Mechanisms
Funded at Iowa City VA Medical Center · NIH-11131086 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how the virus that causes COVID‑19 interacts with human T cells to explain why some people get severe illness or weak immune memory.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2009 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX000207-16 |
| Project ID | NIH-11131086 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have had COVID‑19 (mild to severe), people with recent breakthrough infections after vaccination, or volunteers willing to give blood samples for immune testing.
✕Less likely to help
People without prior SARS‑CoV‑2 exposure and those needing urgent medical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how SARS‑CoV‑2 affects human T cells by analyzing blood and immune samples to see how T cell receptors respond. They will compare responses from people with different COVID‑19 severities and from vaccinated people with breakthrough infections. Lab tests will measure T cell activation, signaling strength, and the development of long‑lived memory cells alongside antibody responses. Findings will be used to link specific immune changes to risks of reinfection or severe disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help guide better vaccines and treatments that strengthen T cell memory and reduce severe COVID‑19.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows T cells are important for protection and that SARS‑CoV‑2 can alter immune responses, but the specific ways the virus blunts T cell memory are still being clarified.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stapleton, Jack T. — Iowa City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Stapleton, Jack T.
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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.