Understanding Immune Cells in Long-Term Inflammation and Multiple Health Conditions
Official title: T helper cells in development of chronic inflammation and multimorbidity
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11126880 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how specific immune cells called T helper cells contribute to long-term inflammation and the development of multiple health conditions in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $601,436 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078359-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11126880 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research focuses on understanding disease mechanisms in older adults with chronic inflammation and multimorbidity, rather than recruiting patients for direct intervention.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention for their conditions would not directly benefit from this foundational research.
What this research studies
Many older adults experience multimorbidity, which means having two or more long-term health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or Alzheimer's. We know that ongoing, low-level inflammation in the body plays a role in these conditions. This project aims to understand how specific immune cells, called T helper cells, contribute to this chronic inflammation and the development of multiple diseases. By studying human data, we hope to uncover the exact mechanisms by which these cells influence inflammation and lead to various health problems. This knowledge could help us find new ways to manage inflammation and improve health for older adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for preventing or treating chronic inflammation and the multiple diseases it contributes to, potentially improving health for older adults.
How similar studies have gone: While animal studies and preliminary human data suggest a role for T helper cells in inflammation, this project aims to fill a major gap in understanding their specific mechanisms in human chronic inflammation and multimorbidity.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ding, Jingzhong — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Ding, Jingzhong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Integrated Heart Health: A HEARTS-based approach to hypertension and diabetes in Guatemala
A study tests a team-based, stepwise care model to improve blood pressure and blood sugar control for people with both hypertension and diabetes in Guatemala.
-
M-CaRE: Mobile clinics and a smart heart-lung care tool for multimorbidity
A mobile, multilingual tool plus community health workers will help screen and manage high blood pressure and COPD in diverse adult patients, especially in underserved areas.
-
Alcohol and HIV interaction driving lung and liver damage through cell signals
This program explores how alcohol worsens lung and liver problems in people with HIV by affecting cell signals that travel between organs.
-
Addressing heart disease risk with HIV care in Nigeria
A plan to bring heart-disease prevention and treatment into HIV care for people living with HIV in Nigeria.
-
Understanding how care teams connect to better care for older adults with ADRD and multiple health problems
This grant tests how the way clinicians work together (their network) affects care quality and outcomes for older adults with Alzheimer's or related dementias and multiple health issues.
-
MADIVA: Using digital tools to study multimorbidity in Africa
A hosted research program in Africa is building advanced data resources and language-model based tools to study how multiple diseases and aging affect people in rural South Africa and urban Kenya.
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.