# Chronic Granulomatous Disease: Determinants of Auto-Inflammation and Complications Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $24,425

## Abstract

PIDTC Project 6908 CGD – Abstract
Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations in any of 5
subunits of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Patients are equally affected by infection susceptibility and
immune dysregulation both in response to infection and presumed sterile inflammation. This auto-inflammation
affects a variety of organ systems, particularly the bowel, lungs and liver. Uncontrolled auto-inflammation can
be an indication for hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) in CGD but retrospective studies suggest that patients
with CGD undergoing HCT have a higher incidence of graft versus host disease (GVHD) and mortality if there
is active infection or uncontrolled inflammation at the time of transplantation. The exact mechanism of auto-
inflammation in CGD is unknown but several in vitro defects have been described. Lastly, studies of HCT
indicate associations between GVHD and altered intestinal microbiome alpha diversity. Our prior studies show
that 1) HCT can resolve CGD-associated colitis but history of colitis increases risk of GVHD; 2) the intestinal
microbiome in CGD patients is altered at baseline with decreased alpha diversity, reduced colonization with
anaerobic taxa associated with butyrate production and epithelial barrier protection, and 3) HCT significantly
alters the CGD intestinal microbiome signature. We propose to prospectively enroll CGD patients who are
planned to undergo HCT or gene therapy. We will longitudinally assess auto-inflammatory symptoms
developing an auto-inflammatory disease score. In parallel, blood and stool samples will be assessed for
cytokine alterations, metabolomics signatures, and the microbiome. Further, the 6908 protocol will provide
opportunity to develop biomarkers of CGD-associated auto-inflammation. The objectives of this proposal are to
advance the understanding of diagnosis and management of inflammatory symptoms in CGD in order to define
how best to optimize HCT strategy to cure CGD and resolve auto-inflammatory symptoms post allogeneic HCT
or gene therapy. With this cohort, we will 1) characterize and quantify auto-inflammatory symptoms that will
determine an overall symptom score; 2) assess patient reported outcomes to understand how presence and
resolution of auto-inflammation changes quality of life; 3) determine if HCT provides short and/or long term
resolution of auto-inflammatory symptoms; 4) determine the optimal HCT strategy and what degree of donor
chimerism is necessary to achieve and sustain resolution of auto-inflammatory symptoms; 5) determine
biomarkers of CGD-associated auto-inflammation that can be predictive of symptom severity and control, and
6) determine metabolomics and metagenomics data of the stool microbiome in CGD patients and correlate
how the biome influences post-HCT outcomes. The impact of the proposed research is that the longitudinal
assessment and mechanistic studies we perform will optimize clinician practices and lead to devel...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10018653
- **Project number:** 5U54AI082973-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Harry Malech
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $24,425
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-09-12 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10018653

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10018653, Chronic Granulomatous Disease: Determinants of Auto-Inflammation and Complications Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (5U54AI082973-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10018653. Licensed CC0.

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