# Mechanistic Investigation of Gut Mycobiota in the Regulation of Lung Immunity and Disease

> **NIH NIH K99** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2022 · $96,953

## Abstract

Mechanistic Investigation of Gut Mycobiota in the Regulation of Lung Immunity and Disease (PA-20-188)
Project summary/Abstract
Asthma is a common, chronic airway inflammation that affects around 25 million Americans and 334 million
people worldwide. In the mammalian gut, a diverse fungal community, known as the mycobiota shapes local and
systemic host immune responses. Alterations of the gut fungal community are strongly associated with
inflammatory disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and inflammatory bowel
diseases (IBD). Our recent findings suggest that intestinal specialized phagocytes could mediate the activation
of fungal-primed T cells during allergic airway disease. Despite these, the precise mechanisms of gut- lung
immune crosstalk are unknown. Based on these preliminary findings, we hypothesize that gut commensal fungi
initiate antifungal immunity that affects lung immunity and modulates the progression of airway inflammation.
The objectives of this project are to understand the molecular and cellular interplay between gut fungi and host
lung immunity with specific focus on T cells. While the current proposal is to illuminate the basic effects of gut
fungi on lung immunity and disease and to uncover mechanistic insights about gut-primed antifungal T cell
activation and migration on the development of immune-mediated airway inflammation. My long-term goal is to
investigate how the gut commensal mycobiota modulates the gut-systemic axis and impacts other pulmonary
diseases, such as COPD and cystic fibrosis (CF). During my K99 training, I will be supervised by a team of
mentors and scientific advisors with expertise in mycobiota, mucosal immunology, T cell biology and pulmonary
diseases. They will provide strong support and mentorship in both research and career transition to
independence, and help me to develop necessary technical skills and conceptual knowledge on lung immunity
and antifungal T cells. This K99/R00 award will enable me to acquire the skills necessary for a deep analysis
and understanding of the gut-systemic axis with the goal of creating novel therapies to treat asthma, COPD, CF,
and other immune-related pulmonary diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10371348
- **Project number:** 1K99HL157691-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Xin Li
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $96,953
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10371348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10371348, Mechanistic Investigation of Gut Mycobiota in the Regulation of Lung Immunity and Disease (1K99HL157691-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10371348. Licensed CC0.

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