How skin helper T cells reshape skin cells
Official title: Reprogramming of tissue structural cells by cutaneous CD4+ T cells
Funded at Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason · NIH-11323173 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how immune cells in the skin change skin cells and may help people with inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | April 19, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $452,339 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI169893-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323173 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with inflammatory skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis/eczema or recurrent inflammatory rashes would be the most relevant candidates to donate samples or join future related trials.
✕Less likely to help
People whose skin issues are caused by infections, purely cosmetic concerns, or non-inflammatory systemic diseases are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will grow skin cells together with CD4+ T cells in the lab to see how signals from those immune cells change skin cell behavior and gene activity. They will use a well-controlled mouse model of T cell-driven skin inflammation to track lasting 'inflammatory memory' in keratinocytes and fibroblasts in living skin. The team will identify the cytokines and epigenetic switches responsible for reprogramming skin structural cells and measure how these changes affect future inflammation and wound healing. These experiments aim to point to molecular targets that could be tested in future therapies for inflammatory skin diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to prevent or reduce flares in conditions like atopic dermatitis by blocking harmful T cell signals or epigenetic changes in skin cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory and animal studies have shown that skin cells can carry inflammatory 'memory', but using that knowledge to develop patient treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
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Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Campbell, Daniel J — Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
- Study coordinator: Campbell, Daniel J
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.