# Investigating IL-10-producing suppressive NK cells

> **NIH NIH K22** · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2021 · $108,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Dr. Kristina Burrack’s research has led to the identification of a cytokine complex treatment that stimulates
natural killer (NK) cells to produce the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 and prevents mice from dying from
an immune-mediated disease following Plasmodium infection known as cerebral malaria. Malaria is a
significant global health problem with more than 200 million clinical cases and nearly 500,000 deaths annually.
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a deadly complication of Plasmodium infection that mostly afflicts children under the
age of five and can result in long-term neurologic deficits in children who survive. In the human disease and
the mouse model of cerebral malaria, a pathologic immune response is thought to contribute to disruption of
the blood brain barrier. In the present proposal, Dr. Burrack will more fully elucidate the role of cytokine
complex-stimulated NK cells in cerebral malaria and the induction of IL-10 in human and mouse NK cells. In
addition to direct support from mentors and collaborators, Dr. Burrack has full access to the shared resources
in the Center for Immunology at the University of Minnesota, including core facilities in flow cytometry, animal
facilities, and biostatistics. Interactions with collaborators at the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Healthcare
Research Institute, the Mayo Clinic, and elsewhere will allow her to gain further expertise in the analysis of
molecular signaling pathways, analyze human NK cells, generate new mouse strains, and further investigate
the cerebral malaria mouse model, which will be critical as she transitions into the independent phase of her
career. The data generated from the proposed studies will form the basis for an R01 application. The proposed
studies are significant because they address a critical gap in basic research that is needed to fully characterize
NK cell activation following cytokine stimulation – specifically, how to induce IL-10-producing suppressive NK
cells – and understand the mechanisms that prevent fatal immunopathology. These findings will have major
clinical implications for the design of adjunctive therapies for human cerebral malaria and other
immunopathologic diseases and inform the development of novel NK cell-directed therapies. Dr. Burrack’s
long-term goal is to dedicate her career to advancing basic and translational immunology and infectious
disease research as an independent investigator at an academic institution. As an immunologist with a deep
interest and proven track record in studying the pathogenesis of infectious diseases of global health
importance, she is in a unique position to answer the questions set forth in this proposal and to rapidly advance
the understanding of how to tune NK cell stimulation to prevent immunopathology and the role of IL-10-
producing NK cells in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10189502
- **Project number:** 5K22AI143969-02
- **Recipient organization:** HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristina Stoermer Burrack
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $108,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-12 → 2022-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10189502

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10189502, Investigating IL-10-producing suppressive NK cells (5K22AI143969-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10189502. Licensed CC0.

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