Understanding Coronavirus Immunity and Designing Better Vaccines

Antibody Core

NIH-funded research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11123400

This project aims to understand how our bodies develop long-lasting protection against coronaviruses and to create new vaccines that can protect against many different types of these viruses.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11123400 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how important it is to understand our immune system's response to coronaviruses. This project, called PLUTO, is working to design vaccines that offer broad protection against various coronaviruses. Researchers are carefully studying immune cells, called B cells, from people who have been infected or vaccinated. This work helps us understand how our bodies build strong, lasting defenses and guides the development of new, more effective vaccines.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients who have experienced coronavirus infections or received vaccinations may be ideal candidates for contributing samples to help researchers understand immune responses.

Not a fit: Patients who have not had coronavirus infections or vaccinations, or who are not interested in contributing biological samples, may not directly benefit from this specific research opportunity.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new vaccines that provide broad and long-lasting protection against current and future coronavirus threats, reducing the impact of future pandemics.

How similar studies have performed: This comprehensive program builds upon existing knowledge of coronavirus immunology while also pursuing novel strategies for pan-coronavirus vaccine design.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.