Understanding inflammaging in Down syndrome to improve immune health
Official title: Mechanistic and functional dissection of inflammaging in Down syndrome
Funded at Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason · NIH-11391090 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies why people with Down syndrome age their immune system faster and how this affects infections, vaccines, and autoimmune problems, with the goal of new therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $677,851 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI166835-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391090 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with Down syndrome or related autoimmune features who could participate in immune profiling and translational studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without Down syndrome or without autoimmune or immune aging features may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
People with Down syndrome often show signs of an aging immune system, including more autoimmunity and fewer young immune cells. The project uses a novel, unbiased way to map immune networks in DS and measure how aging-like changes emerge early in life. It aims to uncover how dysregulated naïve CD4+ T cells contribute to immune aging and identify gene drivers on chromosome 21 that influence this process. The findings could lead to new therapies for DS and help identify who in the general population might benefit from similar approaches. The research is designed to translate insights into strategies that improve immune responses and reduce autoimmune risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to therapies that normalize immune aging in Down syndrome and improve responses to infections and vaccines.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that immune aging features are present in DS and related autoimmune conditions, supporting the potential for meaningful impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Khor, Bernard — Benaroya Research Inst at Virginia Mason
- Study coordinator: Khor, Bernard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exploring how Down syndrome affects optic nerve health in kids
A study using a mouse model to understand why optic nerve problems are common in children with Down syndrome and how to prevent them.
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Executive Function Enhancement for Young Children with Down Syndrome
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-
Silencing an Extra Chromosome to Help Down Syndrome and Related Conditions
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-
Infant Down Syndrome Brain and Behavior Study
A study of infants with Down syndrome to collect brain imaging and developmental data, creating a large, shared resource to understand how autism and other factors relate to development.
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DS-ARC: Smartphone-based cognitive check for people with Down syndrome at risk for Alzheimer’s
A smartphone-based cognitive test is being developed and tested for people with Down syndrome who may develop Alzheimer’s disease, to track changes quietly in daily life.
-
Immune and NGF factors in Alzheimer’s for adults with Down syndrome
This grant studies why people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease by looking at immune signals and nerve growth factor problems.
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.