Understanding how innate immunity affects viral infections across mammals
Official title: Defining innate immune signaling, viral infection susceptibility, and infection control across mammals
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11349984 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are studying how our body's first-line defenses interact with viruses across different mammal species to learn why some viruses jump between species and how we might better protect people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $522,784 |
| NIH project number | 1P01AI198498-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349984 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient group in this grant; findings may inform future translational work and public health strategies.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not described in this project.
What this research studies
This grant examines cell-intrinsic innate immunity and interferon responses to model RNA viruses in diverse mammals. It uses comparative analyses to map how host and viral genes shape infection outcomes and how viruses evade immune defenses. The project aims to identify species-specific immune mechanisms and the viral factors that help viruses bypass them, with a focus on potential human infection risk. Findings could guide new strategies to prevent cross-species transmission and improve outbreak preparedness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of why some viruses jump species could lead to improved risk assessments and new approaches to prevent zoonotic infections in people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that innate immunity and viral evasion strategies critically shape infection outcomes across species.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gale, Michael — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Gale, Michael
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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.