How immune cells decide whether to eat or ignore other cells
Official title: Signal Integration during Phagocytosis
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11320789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how macrophages (a type of immune cell) use patterns of antibodies and other signals to clear harmful cells without attacking healthy ones, which could matter for infections, cancer, and autoimmune disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $388,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM146935-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with conditions linked to macrophage dysfunction—such as certain infections, cancers that escape immune clearance, or autoimmune/inflammatory disorders—could be candidates for related future trials or interventions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with diseases unrelated to immune clearance or macrophage-driven inflammation are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research in the near term.
What this research studies
Researchers will work in the lab with cells and molecular tools to see how clustering of activating and inhibitory signals at the cell surface changes macrophage behavior. They will test how patterns of antibodies (IgG) and 'don’t eat me' signals alter whether macrophages engulf targets or trigger inflammation. The team will also study the internal signaling steps that filter out weak or background stimuli so only real threats provoke a response.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could inform new ways to boost clearance of infections or tumors or to reduce harmful inflammation in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical work shows antibody clustering can enhance macrophage engulfment, but combining activating and inhibitory ligand patterns and dissecting intracellular thresholding is a newer, less-explored area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morrissey, Meghan a — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Morrissey, Meghan a
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.