Targeting PTPN22 to strengthen antiviral defenses
Official title: Chemical Inhibition PTPN22 to boost anti-viral immunity
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11333184 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is developing drugs that target the PTPN22 protein to strengthen antiviral immunity in people who struggle to clear persistent viral infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2016 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $71,608 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM113117-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333184 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic or persistent viral infections who have difficulty clearing viruses may be the eventual candidates for treatments developed from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without viral infections, or whose immune problems are unrelated to the PTPN22 pathway, are unlikely to benefit from this early-stage preclinical project.
What this research studies
Researchers will make pieces of the PTPN22 protein and use those pieces to screen chemical libraries for molecules that mimic a naturally protective genetic variant. Hits from the screen will be refined with computational chemistry and tested in lab assays and mouse models that previously showed improved viral clearance with the protective variant. The work is done using shared cores at the University of Kansas for protein production, infectious disease assays, and computational chemical biology. If a promising compound emerges, it could advance toward further preclinical development and eventually human testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new drugs that help people clear chronic or persistent viral infections more effectively.
How similar studies have gone: Mouse studies show a naturally occurring PTPN22 variant improved antiviral clearance, but chemically targeting the same site is a new approach that has not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Orozco, Robin C. — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Orozco, Robin C.
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.