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Regulation of lupus pathogenesis through modulation of thymic development of pathobiont-specific T cells

Award Number: R00AR080207
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2026

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Regulation of lupus pathogenesis through modulation of thymic development of pathobiont-specific T cells - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT CANDIDATE: I am a postdoctoral research associate in the laboratory of Dr. Gretchen E. Diehl in the Immunology Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I obtained my PhD working in gut microbiota and systemic lupus erythematosus under the supervision of Dr. Martin Kriegel. My current research applies the techniques I learned in my postdoc and graduate school to assess the role of gut microbes in the thymic development of microbiota-specific T cells and how these T cells can modulate disease in susceptible hosts. To elucidate this process, I used a tetramer-based approach to identify and track antigen-specific T cells expansion in the thymus before they distribute and differentiate in the periphery. I plan to study how this process is altered in autoimmunity. My proposed research and mentoring plan will provide me the required foundation to transition into an independent researcher with a long-term career goal to understand how microbiota-specific T cell responses arise and define how they exacerbate lupus pathogenesis. To achieve this goal, together with my mentoring team, I have developed a career plan that will 1) increase my technical skills, 2) refine my scientific scope, 3) improve my communication skills, and 4) expand my scientific network. RESEARCH: Lupus development is associated with intestinal dysbiosis in patients and mouse models. Dysbiosis in lupus is characterized by pathobiont overgrowth and is linked to dysregulated immune responses that exacerbate pathogenesis. In my graduate work, I found increased pathobionts including Lactobacillus reuteri in mouse lupus models and subsets of SLE patients. I showed L. reuteri translocated systemically, leading to increased inflammatory pathways and proinflammatory T cells which exacerbated systemic inflammation and worsened lupus pathogenesis. In my postdoctoral work, I am investigating how differentiation of microbiota-specific T cells is regulated during development and its effects in inflammatory processes. While we and others find peripheral expansion of microbiota-specific T cells with effector function in adult mice, in young mice we surprisingly found microbiota-specific T cells first expanded in the thymus, a site not previously known to allow for antigen-specific T cell expansion. I aim to synergize the knowledge generated during my graduate and postdoctoral training to determine if thymic development of L. reuteri-specific T cells is amplified in lupus susceptible hosts and to assess their role in lupus exacerbation. I will develop this proposal by 1) Determining how thymic microbiota-specific T cells modulate lupus pathogenesis and 2) Defining how lupus pathobionts modulate pathobiont-specific T cells expansion. ENVIRONMENT: The laboratory is part of the Immunology program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art research institute. Furthermore, my mentoring committee and collaborators will provide the required scientific and non-scientific support for the research and career development proposed.


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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $236,549 )
2026	2026	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	5	12/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$224,099
2026	2026	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	5	5/14/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$12,450
														Subtotal = $236,549

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $206,489 )
2025	2025	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	4	12/20/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$189,059
2025	2025	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	4	6/2/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$17,430
														Subtotal = $206,489

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $295,720 )
2024	2024	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	3	8/23/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$46,721
2024	2024	RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	1001 EMMET ST N	CHARLOTTESVILLE	VA	22903	CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	3	11/9/2023	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$248,999
														Subtotal = $295,720

Grand Total All Awards = $738,758

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Regulation of lupus pathogenesis through modulation of thymic development of pathobiont-specific T cells

Award Number: R00AR080207

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2026

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