# Project 1: Immune Regulation in HCT

> **NIH NIH P01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $344,535

## Abstract

Project 1: Project Summary/Abstract
In this Project we will focus on the biology of GVHD and immune regulation by utilizing novel imaging strategies,
immune assessments, animal modeling and clinical translational studies to develop a deeper understanding of
GVHD and GVT reactions. For the first time, we will explore a novel imaging strategy to image activated T cells,
the known effector cells in GVHD, to explore the fate of adoptively transferred cells in the setting of GVHD
induction. This approach, if proven to be successful, can also be utilized by a number of other Projects in this
Program to explore the biological fate of adoptively transferred T cells. We will also explore the biological activity
and translational capability of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Our prior work has demonstrated that iNKT
cells have remarkable biological function and are approximately 20-50x more potent than Treg in suppressing
GVHD in murine models of HCT. There is also compelling clinical correlative studies to justify intense interest in
this cell population. Interestingly, iNKT cells function at very early time points within hours to days following HCT
and result in the expansion of Treg highlighting the immune regulatory networks that are critical for proper immune
regulation. We will build upon our findings that iNKT cells can be expanded ex vivo and can be used from third
party donors with equal efficacy as compared to donor derived cells which is likely to aid in clinical translation.
Our goals are to study the biology of iNKT cells in the setting of HCT with the goal of developing an effective
strategy to reduce the risk of GVHD while maintaining or enhancing GVT reactions and to develop strategies for
their clinical translation in the setting of HCT. We will determine whether in vivo imaging of activated T cells can
be successfully imaged to non-invasively identify patients with GVHD and those who are at high risk for
developing GVHD with the ultimate goal of earlier intervention that may be more effective. We will test whether
invariant NKT cells result in the expansion of a population of Treg with enhanced function resulting in prevention
of GVHD and can be engineered to maintain or enhance GVL activities. We will test the hypothesis that iNKT
cells hold great promise in reducing the risk of GVHD while maintaining GVT reactions and through the proposed
studies our goal is to develop strategies to isolate and expand donor or third party iNKT cells for GVHD
prevention and improvement in GVHD free, relapse free survival.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10700000
- **Project number:** 5P01CA049605-33
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert S Negrin
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $344,535
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-05-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10700000

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10700000, Project 1: Immune Regulation in HCT (5P01CA049605-33). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10700000. Licensed CC0.

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