How T cells grow and protect babies and children
Evolution of T cell immunity in blood and tissues over childhood
This project looks at how T cells — immune cells that help fight infections — develop and form long-lasting protection in infants and children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11284033 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Your child's blood or donated tissue would be studied to see how T cells in different organs develop and settle into place during infancy and childhood. Researchers will compare T cells from blood and from tissues obtained from pediatric organ donors and look for the types that stay in tissues to protect against infection. Lab models and detailed lab tests will help explain how these tissue-resident memory T cells form and change as children grow. The goal is to understand what a strong, lasting T cell response looks like at different ages.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are newborns, infants, and children up to about 11 years old (or families willing to donate pediatric blood or tissue samples, including from organ donors).
Not a fit: Adults outside the pediatric age range or patients who cannot or do not provide blood or tissue samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help design better vaccines and immunotherapies that protect infants and children by targeting the right T cell responses.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies, including work using pediatric organ donor tissues, have identified tissue-resident memory T cells in humans, but tracking how they form and mature across childhood is a relatively new area.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Farber, Donna L. — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Farber, Donna L.
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.