# Metabolic checkpoint in dendritic cell subsets and adaptive immunity

> **NIH NIH R37** · ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL · 2024 · $455,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY (See instructions):
Metabolism is the core process underlying essentially all biological functions. The application of this
concept to the immune system, known as immunometabolism, is arguably one of the most active and
transformative research topics in immunology. The critical link between metabolism and immunity is
highlighted by the findings that immunometabolism shapes dendritic cell (DC) function, T cell responses
and adaptive immunity, and contributes to cancer progression and therapy. However, molecular
mechanisms linking the metabolic state of immune cells with in vivo immune responses remain largely
unclear, and integrative, systems-level understanding and therapeutic targeting of immunometabolism are
lacking. My laboratory studies the interplay between metabolism and immunity, and how understanding
immunometabolism reveals new biology and disease targets. The long-term goals of my research
program are to establish the metabolic and signaling programs that direct DC- and T cell-mediated
adaptive immune responses. We approach these questions by multidisciplinary strategies, ranging from
immunology, genetics, cell biology and biochemistry, to in vivo models of cancer and inflammation. The
central hypothesis that guides our research is that metabolic pathways are inextricably connected to
immune cell state and fate and adaptive immune responses, and by understanding these connections, we
gain new concepts and disease targets. This hypothesis leads us to address the following three key
questions in immunometabolism. First, we will establish immunometabolic control of DC subsets and
adaptive immunity via mitochondrial and lipid pathways. Second, we will use functional genomics
approaches to systemically explore metabolic control of DC subsets and function. Third, we will determine
the roles of nutrients in mediating intercellular communication between DCs and T cells or tumor cells.
Completion of these aims are expected to identify novel mechanisms of intracellular and intercellular
metabolic checkpoints underlying DC subsets, T cell responses and adaptive immunity. Our established
contributions in the field of immunometabolism, expertise in the studies of both DCs and T cells, and
experience in the synthesis of hypothesis-driven and systems-level approaches, make us uniquely
positioned to produce fundamental discoveries in immunometabolism and new strategies for translation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10657948
- **Project number:** 4R37AI105887-11
- **Recipient organization:** ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Hongbo Chi
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $455,000
- **Award type:** 4C
- **Project period:** 2024-02-01 → 2028-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10657948

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10657948, Metabolic checkpoint in dendritic cell subsets and adaptive immunity (4R37AI105887-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10657948. Licensed CC0.

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