Immune profiling of respiratory viruses in vulnerable people

Systems Immunology profiling of respiratory viral infections in vulnerable populations

NIH-funded research Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason · NIH-11332436

This project maps how the immune system responds to respiratory viruses in people who are especially at risk, using samples like nasal swabs and blood.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionBenaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Seattle, United States)
Project IDNIH-11332436 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would provide nasal swabs, blood draws, and sputum samples when you have a respiratory viral infection. The Genomics Core will run bulk RNA sequencing and single-cell proteogenomic sequencing to see which genes and proteins immune cells make and to read T and B cell receptor sequences. For very rare antigen-specific cells they will sort cells into plates for sequencing, and for larger cell populations they will use 10X single-cell immune profiling with TotalSeq to measure gene expression, surface markers, and receptor clonotypes. The data will be combined so researchers can link related cells and better understand immune responses during infection.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who get respiratory viral infections and are considered vulnerable (for example young children or adults at higher risk) who can provide nasal, sputum, and blood samples.

Not a fit: People without respiratory infections, those not in the targeted vulnerable groups, or anyone unwilling to provide the required samples are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help identify immune patterns that lead to severe illness and guide better diagnostics, vaccines, or treatments for at-risk people.

How similar studies have performed: Single-cell and bulk sequencing methods have already improved understanding of immune responses in other settings, though applying them specifically to vulnerable populations is a more recent effort.

Where this research is happening

Seattle, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.