# Defining a type II IL-9R

> **NIH NIH R21** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2024 · $198,125

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT – Defining a type II IL-9R
 Cells communicate through specific cytokine-receptor binding to mediate immune responses and
inflammation. Targeting these interactions has become an effective approach to patient treatment in a growing
list of diseases. Among the cytokines, IL-9 is pleiotropic and is involved in allergic and autoimmune diseases
and in tumor immunity. In hematopoietic cells IL-9 signals through the IL-9Rα chain and the γc chain that is
shared with other cytokines including IL-2, IL-4, and IL-7. Numerous reports, including our own, demonstrate the
ability of IL-9 to stimulate direct effects in non-hematopoietic cells as well. Yet, the hematopoietic-restricted
expression of γc leaves a gap in our knowledge of how IL-9 delivers a signal to non-hematopoietic cells. The
related cytokine IL-4 has a type II receptor that is composed of the IL-4Rα chain and the IL-13Rα1 chain to
facilitate responses in non-hematopoietic cells. In this application we provide evidence of a type II IL-9R that is
proposed to function in non-hematopoietic cells. We hypothesize that on airway epithelial cells IL-9Rα can
combine with IL-13Rα1 to form a type II receptor and we provide preliminary data of a physical interaction
between these receptor chains. We will test this hypothesis using gene-targeted mice and both in vitro and in
vivo model systems to analyze IL-9 signaling and IL-9 function in airway epithelial cells. Together, these studies
will expand the paradigm of cytokine receptor biology, provide detailed insight into IL-9 effector functions, and
further define how targeting cytokine receptor chains impacts immunity in the patient population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10847462
- **Project number:** 5R21AI173929-02
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** MARK H KAPLAN
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $198,125
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-24 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10847462

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10847462, Defining a type II IL-9R (5R21AI173929-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10847462. Licensed CC0.

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