# Coordination of mucosal immune response to enteric bacterial pathogens by nociceptive innervation

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2021 · $447,251

## Abstract

Project Summary
Host-microbial interactions are a critical determinant of health. The gastrointestinal tract provides
several overlapping mechanisms that function together to prevent entry of pathogens into the body.
These protective mechanisms are provided through the coordinated of intestinal epithelial cells and
immune cells in the lamina propria. While the specialized sensory nociceptive neurons that detect
noxious stimuli such as pathogens, or the resulting host tissue damage are known to control immune
function in the skin and lung, the contribution of these neurons to intestinal mucosal immunity is not
known.
Building on our preliminary data, the overall goals of this project are to precisely determine the role of
sensory nociceptive neurons in the neuro-immune communication that limits enteric bacterial infection.
This will be achieved by selective ablation of sensory neurons, and experiments to determine the source
of SP and the targeted cells (SA1). How an enteric bacterial pathogen induces nociceptive activation in
vitro and in vivo (SA2). Mechanistic understanding of the immunological effect of sensory neurons
during enteric infection will be attained. Specifically, how nociceptor ablation impinges on dendritic cell
migration, chemokine production, and adhesion molecule expression will be determined (SA3).
Together, these proposed studies will decipher the contribution of sensory afferent nociceptive neurons
to mucosal host defense during enteric bacterial infection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10132233
- **Project number:** 5R01AI150647-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Colin Reardon
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $447,251
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10132233

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10132233, Coordination of mucosal immune response to enteric bacterial pathogens by nociceptive innervation (5R01AI150647-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10132233. Licensed CC0.

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