# Immulogical Niches and Non-invasive Biosensors for Autoimmune Monitoring

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $83,988

## Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating autoimmune disease that is difficult to manage clinically, because it is
characterized by unpredictable periods of remission and relapse. If the disease could be adequately monitored,
it is possible drugs could intervene to prevent damage, reducing rates of relapse and overall progression. Ideally,
it would be possible to repeatedly biopsy the CNS for monitoring, but this is too challenging/morbid to have utility.
Herein, we propose an approach that harnesses tissue engineering principles to develop an immunological niche
(IN) in vivo to enable harvest of physiologically relevant immune populations. The central hypothesis of this work
is that INs can be created to reflect aspects of the innate and/or adaptive immune system that correlate with the
CNS. Furthermore, we hypothesize that INs will provide a location into which a non-invasive optical sensor of
multiple sclerosis can be implanted. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that the FBR to implanted materials can
be harnessed to create an IN reflective of innate immunity in the CNS and will dynamically monitor the
formation of this niche. Scaffolds will be excised at appropriate time points during disease induction and
analyzed with high-throughput gene expression arrays, scRNAseq, and machine learning to develop multivariate
signatures capable of determining whether a mouse is diseased or healthy. Aim 2 (K99) will harness specific
antigen-binding peptides to build noninvasive sensors for biomarkers of disease progression.
Fluorophore-labeled peptides that specifically bind biomarkers of disease will be incorporated into PEG
hydrogels which will be engineered such that the binding of the desired antigen will enable detection via FRET.
These sensors will be incorporated into the pores of the IN to enable non-invasive monitoring of MS. Aim 3 (R00)
will develop INs reflective of adaptive immune populations in the CNS, by incorporating antigens within
the scaffolds. This section will create a non-invasive sensor and multivariate signature reflective of adaptive
immune changes within the surrogates and harness both innate and adaptive INs to investigate mechanistic
questions about innate-adaptive crosstalk in the development of MS. Taken together these studies will create
engineered immunological niches and non-invasive sensors that enable the creation of enhanced diagnostics,
prognostics, treatment monitors, and longitudinal immunology studies without euthanasia.
 This work is at the intersection of immunology and biomaterials and will require biomaterials synthesis,
scRNAseq, computational analysis, tissue engineering, immunology, and biosensor design and validation. The
applicant has significant experience in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and the host response, but requires
further training in immunology, computational analysis, and biosensor design/validation. Both this award and the
advisory committee will provide the applicant tools and expertise to begin h...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10953807
- **Project number:** 3R00EB028840-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Aaron Harvey Morris
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $83,988
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10953807

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10953807, Immulogical Niches and Non-invasive Biosensors for Autoimmune Monitoring (3R00EB028840-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10953807. Licensed CC0.

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