New PD-1 immune‑boosting treatment for inflammatory bowel disease
Official title: Development of novel PD1 agonist therapeutic strategies for inflammatory bowel disease
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11238448 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops a treatment that boosts PD‑1 immune signaling, alone and with low‑dose IL‑2, to help restore immune balance in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $463,650 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK138260-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238448 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease), especially those with immune‑driven inflammation who are interested in immune‑modulating treatments, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose symptoms are driven primarily by non‑immune causes, those with active serious infections or immunodeficiency, or those in whom PD‑1 pathway modulation is contraindicated may not benefit.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are developing therapies that strengthen PD‑1 signaling to increase regulatory T cells and calm intestinal inflammation. They will test PD‑1 agonists (like PDL1‑Fc/PDL2‑Fc) in lab studies using human immune cells and in animal models, and will combine these agents with low‑dose IL‑2 to look for added benefit. The team will measure effects on regulatory T cell induction, inflammatory cytokines, and myeloid cell behavior, and examine how Smad7 interferes with PD‑1 signaling. The work aims to create a durable immune‑tolerance approach that could translate into human treatments for IBD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce intestinal inflammation and flares by restoring immune tolerance, potentially lowering the need for broad immunosuppression.
How similar studies have gone: Low‑dose IL‑2 has shown promise for expanding regulatory T cells in humans, but PD‑1 agonist therapy for IBD is largely experimental and the combined approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gopal, Murugaiyan — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gopal, Murugaiyan
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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.