# Core B: Clinical Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2024 · $364,178

## Abstract

Project Summary
Translational research is critically dependent on availability of adequate specimens from well-defined clinical
cohorts of patients. This Clinical Core builds and maintains such cohorts and facilitates a broad array of studies
in human immunology. During the past three cycles of our consortium, we successfully recruited and enrolled
over two thousand subjects, leveraging two paradigm-shifting therapeutic advances of this century: effective
direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs),
particularly targeting the PD-1 axis, for cancer. These developments allowed unique opportunities to study the
scars left by human chronic viral infection and to explore the reversal of T-cell exhaustion and resetting of
immunity. We can further capitalize on “the human experiment” by dissecting immune mechanisms in humans
where a single immune pathway involved in the germinal center response can be interrogated by capturing
standard of care vaccination in patients receiving αPD-1. Finally, during the last cycle a global immunological
challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a third major advance of this century: the introduction of SARS-
CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. While their biology and clinical courses differ, SARS-CoV-2 and HCV are each RNA
viruses where immune responses and outcomes can be compared. Moreover, we can dissect differences
between immune responses to vaccination for Flu and SARS-CoV-2. Samples collected by the Clinical Core
will allow examination of three areas of immunobiology: 1) investigation of persisting virus and immune
dysfunction in post-acute sequelae of PASC; 2) interrogation of immune scarring after cure of a persisting
infection, and 3) dissection of an immunoregulatory pathway associated with persisting infections for its role in
vaccine-induced adaptive immune memory. Integration of findings across these areas is a distinct advantage of
this Immune Perturbation Study Group (IPSG), empowered by this Clinical Core and its relevant cohorts and
large numbers of well-annotated samples. By supporting the studies described in the Projects and the Immune
Health Core, this Core will facilitate a novel and integrated examination of human immune responses to viral
pathogens and to their vaccines in the context of three key perturbations: PASC, HCV infection and specific
immune manipulation via αPD-1.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10824501
- **Project number:** 2U19AI082630-16
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** ARTHUR Y KIM
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $364,178
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2009-06-08 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10824501

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10824501, Core B: Clinical Core (2U19AI082630-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10824501. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*