MARCO’s role in controlling immune alarms in infection
Official title: Defining the role of MARCO in cytosolic surveillance.
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11432705 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand how a key macrophage receptor called MARCO helps manage the body’s warning signals during bacterial infections and severe inflammatory responses.
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 | August 3, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $728,322 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI201773-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11432705 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with bacterial infections or inflammatory conditions potentially at risk for sepsis; no direct patient enrollment specified in the grant summary.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without sepsis risk or those not affected by MARCO-related pathways may see limited relevance.
What this research studies
This project focuses on tissue-resident macrophages and how they respond to danger signals in infections. Researchers will study a signaling pathway between interferons and MARCO to see how it affects the non-canonical inflammasome and the progression of sepsis. They will develop new models to test how MARCO and interferon signals influence macrophage behavior and pyroptosis. The aim is to identify how this pathway could be targeted to improve outcomes in severe infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new approaches to prevent or lessen organ damage during sepsis by modulating MARCO-related signaling.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests macrophage receptors like MARCO influence pathogen binding and inflammatory signaling, supporting potential translational relevance.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Humphries, Fiachra — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Humphries, Fiachra
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.