How skin-resident immune cells develop after birth
Development and function of skin-resident innate-like T cells at early postnatal stages
Learning how special immune cells move into and protect newborn and infant skin to help prevent infection and inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11228394 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work focuses on immune cells called iNKT cells that take up residence in the skin soon after birth. Researchers will track how these cells are generated in the thymus and what signals guide them to and keep them in the skin, using laboratory experiments and tissue analyses. They will also test how these cells help normal skin development and how they can drive inflammation when they go wrong. The goal is to identify targets that could be used to protect or calm developing skin in infants and young children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Participants most likely to be involved would include newborns or young infants with early skin conditions and consenting donors (parents/guardians or adults) able to provide tissue or blood samples.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatment for established adult skin disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new ways to prevent or reduce newborn and childhood skin inflammation by targeting these skin-resident immune cells.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have shown that innate-like T cells can influence skin immunity, but translating those findings into treatments is still early and this project takes a novel mechanistic approach.
Where this research is happening
San Antonio, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Science Center — San Antonio, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xiong, Na — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Xiong, Na
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 below.