# Johns Hopkins Excellence in Pathogenesis and Immunity Center for SARS-CoV-2 (JH-EPICS)

> **NIH NIH U54** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $759,945

## Abstract

Johns Hopkins has broad expertise in the science of human health, with viral immunity, pathogenesis,
epidemiology, biostatistics, and surveillance emerging as integral components of the multidisciplinary research
mounted at Johns Hopkins during the current pandemic. We propose development of a Serological Sciences
Center of Excellence: the Johns Hopkins Excellence in Pathogenesis and Immunity Center for SARS-CoV-2
(JH-EPICS). The overarching goal of JH-EPICS is to distinguish immune responses that protect from those
that cause pathology during infection. Under the Multiple PI leadership of Drs. Klein and Cox, the JH-EPICS
Administrative Core will ensure resources and samples are available to systematically evaluate innate, T cell,
and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serological samples from
COVID-19 patients sampled longitudinally. JH-EPICS contains three interconnecting Research Projects (RPs).
RP1 focuses on innate immune sensing and activation of the human inflammasome by SARS-CoV-2, with
evaluation of how anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies modulate innate sensing. RP2 uses a novel flow-cytometry
based platform that enables single cell analysis of traditional cell surface markers combined with intracellular
staining for proteins involved in metabolic programming. Using this platform, we have identified distinct myeloid
derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and T cells abundant in COVID-19. RP1 will characterize these MDSCs,
while RP2 will explore novel populations of T cells identified in COVID-19 patients. RP2 will also define novel
biomarkers in order to predict severity of disease, track the course of disease, and define novel surrogate
markers for testing therapeutic regimens. Together, RP1 and RP2 will identify novel therapeutic targets. In
RP3, the magnitude, duration, and class switching of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody isotypes as well as virus-
specific neutralizing antibody responses will be analyzed and compared with non-neutralizing antibody
functions, e.g., complement fixation and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, using a novel core set of
serological assays. A centralized Virology Reagent Core will provide antigen for ELISAs, reagents to identify
virus-specific immune cell populations, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 viruses, methods for quantifying SARS-CoV-
2, and access to biosafety level 3 facilities and training needed to perform any experiments involving live
SARS-CoV-2. The Analysis Resource Core will provide statistical modeling and analysis to frame and test
hypotheses about the mechanisms mediating the severity of COVID-19 as well as the intersectionality of sex,
gender, age, and racial differences in immune mechanisms of COVID-19. In concert with the trans-network
collaborations, this research will provide significant insights into pathologic immune responses to SARS-CoV-2,
identification of novel therapeutic targets, and definition of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By
uncovering the...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11159235
- **Project number:** 3U54CA260492-02S3
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDREA L COX
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $759,945
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11159235

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11159235, Johns Hopkins Excellence in Pathogenesis and Immunity Center for SARS-CoV-2 (JH-EPICS) (3U54CA260492-02S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11159235. Licensed CC0.

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