Liver CD4+ T cells that help clear hepatitis C
Official title: Defining successful intrahepatic CD4+ T cell responses against the hepatitis C virus
Funded at Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp · NIH-11306593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for patterns in liver CD4+ T cells that help people clear hepatitis C and could guide better vaccines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project start | March 21, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $525,277 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI190069-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people with recent (acute) hepatitis C infection or individuals at high risk of new HCV exposure who can provide blood and, when medically appropriate, liver samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without HCV exposure, those already cured with antiviral therapy, or those unwilling to provide liver samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will compare immune cells from people who naturally clear HCV to those who develop chronic infection, focusing on CD4+ T cells in the liver. They will use sensitive laboratory tools to identify which CD4+ T cells support strong CD8+ T cell responses and broad antibody protection. Because these cells are often rare in blood, the team will study liver tissue and matched blood when available and supplement with archived human and relevant animal samples. The goal is to define a protective CD4+ T cell signature that vaccine developers can aim to trigger.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help design vaccines that prevent chronic hepatitis C by triggering the right T cell responses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows T cells and antibodies can protect against HCV, but defining the specific intrahepatic CD4+ T cell pattern is novel and not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walker, Christopher M. — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Walker, Christopher M.
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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.