# In vivo Monitoring of Neutrophil Function in Patients after Stem Cell Transplant

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2024 · $817,016

## Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), an essential procedure in the treatment of patients with
hematological malignancies, also temporarily increases the risk for infections with invasive fungi. The recovery
in the neutrophil number after HSCT is commonly regarded as a key metric for the restoration of antifungal
defenses. However, the metric is imprecise, and there is an urgent need for new biomarkers to help identify the
patients at risk. In the absence of new tools, the management of invasive fungal infections remains remarkably
challenging. The long-term goal of this research is to engineer new tools and validate new metrics estimating
the risk for invasive fungal infections in HSCT patients. Achieving this goal requires a focus on neutrophil
swarming function, which is critical in effective antifungal immune responses. Swarming is distinct from
phagocytosis in that it involves neutrophil-neutrophil communication that helps coordinate the activities of
multiple cells toward blocking the growth of invasive fungi. The focus on neutrophil swarming is justified by
preliminary results showing that in HSCT patients, even when the neutrophil count recovered at 4 weeks after
transplant, a neutrophil swarming deficiency is still present and is substantial. Knowledge about how neutrophil
swarming deficiency is resolved over time after HSCT is currently lacking. To address this knowledge gap and
evaluate the utility of new biomarkers we will pursue the following specific aims: 1) Determine neutrophil
swarming parameters that are distinct in healthy and HSCT patients. 2) Determine what cytokines help restore
the swarming activity of neutrophils from HSCT patients and 3) Design new imaging techniques for label-free
tracking of human neutrophils responding to microscopic tissue injuries in vivo. If successful, the proposed
research could have a major impact on the lives of HSCT patients by improving the monitoring of their recovery
and by identifying potential strategies for accelerating the recovery of their neutrophil functions and improving
their protection against fungal infections.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10784755
- **Project number:** 5R01AI176658-02
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Irimia
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $817,016
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-02-13 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10784755

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10784755, In vivo Monitoring of Neutrophil Function in Patients after Stem Cell Transplant (5R01AI176658-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10784755. Licensed CC0.

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