How DNA folding controls dendritic immune cells
Official title: Chromatin architecture as a regulator of dendritic cell function
Funded at University of Chicago · NIH-11481228 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how the way DNA is folded inside dendritic immune cells affects their ability to make interferon and present foreign material to T cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | March 17, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $543,488 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AI164728-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11481228 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with immune conditions linked to abnormal interferon responses or those willing to donate blood or tissue samples for immune-cell research would be most relevant for related participation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate new treatments or those with unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic-science project.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, this work looks inside immune sentinel cells called dendritic cells to see how their DNA is organized and how that organization shapes their behavior. The team will map 3-D genome folding and open-chromatin sites using advanced techniques like 3C-based approaches and ATAC-seq, and will study proteins (CTCF and cohesin) that help form chromatin loops. They will test how these chromatin structures influence how dendritic cell types form, how they produce interferon and other cytokines, and how they present antigens to T cells. The project focuses in part on the genomic region that controls type I interferon genes to understand chromatin-level switches for interferon production.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new ways to tune dendritic cell function and interferon production, informing future treatments for infections, autoimmune diseases, or improving vaccine responses.
How similar studies have gone: Related genomic-mapping approaches have revealed chromatin control of gene expression in other cell types, but applying these methods specifically to dendritic cell interferon regulation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reizis, Boris — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Reizis, Boris
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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.