Hypoxia, TB, and T cell dysfunction in HIV-related risk settings
Official title: Hypoxia, tuberculosis, and T cell dysfunction
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11331249 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how low-oxygen conditions in tuberculosis-affected lungs affect T cells and may lead to weaker immunity in people with AIDS-related risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $680,174 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI172905-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11331249 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with HIV/AIDS or related immune suppression who are at risk for TB or have TB infection.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without TB exposure or HIV-related immune compromise may not directly benefit from this basic mechanistic study.
What this research studies
In people with HIV/AIDS risk, latent tuberculosis can become active; this project uses a mouse model to explore how metabolic stress in the lungs, especially low oxygen in granulomas, changes CD4 and CD8 T cell function. The researchers aim to identify why immune defenses fail to contain TB and how hypoxia impacts T cell responses during infection. By comparing T cells from mice with severe disease to those from milder cases, the study seeks to uncover protective mechanisms that could inform future therapies or vaccines. The work focuses on the interaction between M. tuberculosis, metabolism, and T cell immunity in the lung environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding how metabolic stress impairs T cells could lead to new strategies to boost immunity against TB in people at risk due to HIV/AIDS.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown T cell exhaustion in TB, but this project extends to CD4 T cells and metabolic stress in hypoxic granulomas, which remains an area with promising but evolving evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Behar, Samuel M — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Behar, Samuel M
Related research
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Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
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Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
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Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
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-
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This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
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.