How immune responses differ between boys and girls from before birth through adolescence
Official title: Impact of immune sex differences in the first 1000 days of life and in childhood and adolescence
Funded at University of Oxford · NIH-11112495 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how babies, children, and teens of different sexes respond to vaccines and infections so treatments and vaccines can be better matched to boys and girls.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oxford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oxford, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | June 17, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $523,560 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI168655-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11112495 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants include newborns and infants (especially those receiving BCG or measles vaccine), children and adolescents, and infants born to HIV-positive mothers, including sex-discordant twins in the South African cohorts.
✕Less likely to help
Adults outside the enrolled age ranges or people not recruited at the study sites are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating in this project.
What this research studies
This project follows babies, children, and adolescents to compare immune responses in males and females from before birth through adolescence. Researchers will measure responses to routine vaccines—BCG given at birth and measles vaccine at 6 months—and study both the specific protection and broader non-specific immune effects that can lower childhood deaths. They will analyze samples and data from sex-discordant twins in South Africa and from infants exposed to HIV in utero to identify biological mechanisms driving sex differences. Findings will combine clinical measurements and lab immune profiling across age groups to inform future vaccine and treatment choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to vaccines and treatments tailored by sex that improve protection and reduce childhood illness and mortality.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have reported stronger vaccine and non-specific protective effects in females and links to reduced childhood mortality, but the biological mechanisms remain largely unresolved.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goulder, Philip J — University of Oxford
- Study coordinator: Goulder, Philip J
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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.