Understanding Cell Signals in Inflammatory Diseases like Lupus
Official title: A phospho-tyrosine-based signaling module controlling TLR-mediated inflammatory disease.
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11117052 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how specific cell signals contribute to inflammatory conditions such as lupus, aiming to discover new ways to help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | July 7, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $734,968 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170942-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11117052 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to benefit those living with inflammatory diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate new treatments may not directly benefit from this early-stage laboratory research.
What this research studies
Our bodies have natural defenses, but sometimes these defenses, known as the TLR pathway, can become overactive and cause inflammatory diseases like lupus. We are exploring the specific ways certain proteins, like LYN and IRF5, interact and send signals that either protect us or lead to inflammation. By understanding these detailed molecular steps, including how chemical tags called tyrosine phosphorylation control these proteins, we aim to uncover why the immune system sometimes attacks healthy tissues. This knowledge could help us find new targets for treatments that restore balance to the immune system.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets for medications that could help control inflammation in diseases like lupus.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific molecular mechanisms are still being uncovered, the proteins involved, like LYN and IRF5, are known to play critical roles in inflammatory diseases, and related mouse models have confirmed their importance.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haecker, Hans — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Haecker, Hans
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Glutathionylated products from lipid oxidation in eye disease
This project studies how lipid-oxidation products in the eye might drive age-related macular degeneration and related conditions, by looking at molecules that behave like inflammatory signals.
-
Inflammation risks in clonal hematopoiesis and cancer
This grant studies how clonal hematopoiesis may drive inflammatory diseases and helps predict who is at risk so doctors can prevent complications in people with blood cancers.
-
IgE responses to alpha-gal and how they relate to allergic disease
This project studies why some people develop allergic reactions to mammal products due to alpha-gal and what this means for diagnosing and managing the condition.
-
Alpha‑gal allergy: delayed reactions to red meat and mammal‑derived products
Researchers are looking at why some adults get delayed allergic reactions hours after eating mammal products (alpha‑gal) and how to better diagnose and manage them.
-
A signaling switch that keeps inflammation in check in lupus-like disease
Researchers study how a signaling module in immune cells controls inflammation linked to lupus by examining proteins that turn inflammation on and off.
-
Gut bacteria and steroid hormones in inflammatory bowel disease
A study in people and mice looks at how gut bacteria may change steroids that reduce inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease.
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.