Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2/18/2026

Developmental layers of CD8+ T cells in the lymph node

Award Number: R21AI175867
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/03/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Developmental layers of CD8+ T cells in the lymph node - Project Summary / Abstract A long-standing question in immunology is why some naïve CD8+ T cells become effectors and die after infection, whereas others survive to become memory cells. The current dogma suggests that a single lineage of naïve CD8+ T cells can give rise to either effector or memory T cells depending on cues they encounter (inflammation, antigen) in the priming environment during infection. However, we recently discovered that the propensity for cells to adopt particular fates during infection is linked to their development origins, i.e., whether they were derived from stem cell populations in the fetal liver or bone marrow. We found that fetal-derived CD8+ T cells are the first to respond to infection in adulthood but rapidly become short-lived effectors. In contrast, adult- derived CD8+ T cells respond with slower kinetics but give rise to more memory CD8+ T cells. An important question is, why are fetal-derived T cells the first to respond to infection in adult animals? Answering this question has been a challenge because we lack critical information on how developmental origin alters CD8+ T cell position and behavior during priming in the lymph node. To overcome this challenge, we have formed a collaboration with the Xu lab to image the behavior of live T cells throughout the entire depth of the lymph node during infection. Our hypothesis is that fetal-derived cells are the first to respond to infection in adulthood either (a) because they are optimally positioned in the lymph node prior to infection, or (b) because they respond differently to dendritic cells (DCs) in the lymph node during priming. To differentiate between these possibilities, we will use fate-mapping ‘timestamp’ mice and high-resolution three-photon (3P) microscopy to map out the developmental layers of CD8+ T cells in the lymph node during infection. Upon completion of these studies, we expect to provide a new conceptual framework to explain why individual CD8+ T cells behave in distinct ways in the lymph node and are recruited into the response with different kinetics.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$13 )
2025	2024	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	4/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$13
														Subtotal = -$13

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $195,196 )
2024	2024	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	1/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$175,677
2024	2024	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	2	5/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$19,519
														Subtotal = $195,196

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $235,007 )
2023	2023	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	2/3/2023	NEW	$235,007
2023	2023	CORNELL UNIVERSITY	341 PINE TREE RD	ITHACA	NY	14850	TOMPKINS	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	1	7/21/2023	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $235,007

Grand Total All Awards = $430,190

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Developmental layers of CD8+ T cells in the lymph node

Award Number: R21AI175867

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/03/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer