How two proteins (HDAC4 and HDAC7) may drive harmful immune cells and colitis
Official title: Role of Class IIa HDACs HDAC4 and HDAC7 in Pathogenic Th17 Cell Development and Colitis
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11258852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find out whether the proteins HDAC4 and HDAC7 make Th17 immune cells more damaging and contribute to colitis and other autoimmune diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $422,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI168004-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with inflammatory bowel disease/colitis or other conditions linked to Th17-driven inflammation who are interested in contributing samples or joining future trials based on these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-immune gastrointestinal problems or conditions unrelated to Th17-driven inflammation are unlikely to see direct benefit from this specific research in the near term.
What this research studies
If you have colitis or another autoimmune condition, this work looks at whether two proteins called HDAC4 and HDAC7 push Th17 immune cells to become harmful. The team maps where these proteins bind and which genes they turn on or off using genomic tools like RNA-seq and ChIP-seq. They test how changing these proteins alters Th17 behavior in laboratory immune cells and in experimental colitis models. The goal is to identify specific molecular steps that could be targeted by future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new drug targets to reduce harmful Th17-driven inflammation in colitis and related autoimmune diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has mapped Th17 pathways and shown HDAC family proteins can affect immune cells, but the distinct roles of HDAC4 and HDAC7 in driving pathogenic Th17 cells are relatively new and not yet validated in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheung, Kalung — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Cheung, Kalung
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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.