# Deciphering the role of IGF2BP3 in early life T cell development

> **NIH NIH R21** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2021 · $248,600

## Abstract

PI/PD: Jain, Nitya Ph.D.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The immune system faces unique challenges in early life. In utero, the developing fetal immune system must
tolerate myriad maternal antigenic exposures including nutrients and xenobiotics that are transferred across
the placenta. At birth, the still developing immune system of the newborn is abruptly exposed to a multitude of
environmental and microbial antigens and must rapidly form a discrimination of friend from foe. The early life
immune system itself undergoes rapid and radical changes during this time that are driven by these antigenic
events and the action of transcription factor regulatory circuits directing the development and effector
programming of specific immune cell types. The period immediately after birth thus represents a unique
immune state with significant overlap of fetal and postnatally derived immune cells. Thus, there is great interest
in understanding the genetic program underlying these developmental transitions that determine quality of
immune cells being generated over ontogeny.
In preliminary experiments, a comparison of gene expression profiles of developing thymic cells from neonatal
and adult mice by RNA-seq identified the gene Igf2bp3 to be highly expressed in early life. The goal of this R21
application is to explore the role of IGF2BP3 in early life T cell development. Using novel mouse models that
we have generated, we will determine the precise expression of IGF2BP3 over ontogeny and the
consequences of deletion of IGF2BP3 in thymic precursor cells on T cell development and function. These
foundational studies will shed light on the makeup of the immune repertoire during the period of overlap of fetal
and postnatal immune cells and strive to understand the nature of immune responses during this transitional
period.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10199972
- **Project number:** 5R21AI153548-02
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Nitya Jain
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $248,600
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-22 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10199972

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10199972, Deciphering the role of IGF2BP3 in early life T cell development (5R21AI153548-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10199972. Licensed CC0.

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