Targeting memory T cells to protect high-risk organ transplant recipients
Designing induction therapies to target memory T cells in high risk recipients
Develops ways to reduce memory T cells that resist standard therapies for people receiving high-risk organ transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167688 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work looks at why some immune cells called memory T cells survive common depletion treatments and can cause early rejection after an organ transplant. Using laboratory models, researchers are tracing how these memory T cells come back after treatment and how B cells and inflammatory signals (like IL-1β, IL-6, IL-27 and innate sensors TLR4, TLR9, Mincle) help that recovery. The team plans to design induction approaches that limit harmful homeostatic expansion and encourage the growth of new, less-reactive T cells from the thymus. The goal is to lower rejection risk without increasing overall immune suppression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People receiving organ transplants who are judged high-risk for rejection, especially those treated with lymphocyte-depleting drugs like ATG or anti-CD52, would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People who are not transplant recipients, who do not receive lymphodepleting induction, or whose graft problems are driven mainly by antibodies rather than T cells are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lower rates of acute rejection and reduce the need for heavy, long-term immunosuppression after transplant.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and clinical evidence shows memory T cells resist depletion and link to rejection, but targeted induction strategies to shift recovery toward thymic-derived T cells remain largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valujskikh, Anna — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Valujskikh, Anna
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 below.