# Translational Reprogramming by Regulatory T Cells

> **NIH NIH R21** · BENAROYA RESEARCH INST AT VIRGINIA MASON · 2020 · $213,875

## Abstract

Project Summary
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an indispensable role in maintaining immunological tolerance to self-antigens
and in suppressing excessive immune responses deleterious to the host by exerting a suppressive program
towards a wide variety of target immune cells. However, the intracellular molecular events that mediate such
suppression in target cells in still poorly understood. In this study, we will investigate the molecular nature of
this suppression program with the central hypothesis that regulation of the translational machinery and specific
mRNA translation control is at the core of this reprogramming event. We will utilize a novel genetic tool that
allows immunopurification of ribosomes in virtually any immune cell type in both in vitro and in vivo immune
models called ‘RiboTag.’ Using RiboTag, we will capture the genome-wide translatome (all mRNAs being
translated in time and space) during Treg-dependent immunological tolerance breakdown. We will further
investigate the mechanism of such mRNA transcript-specific translation control with the hypothesis that the
trans-acting translation regulatory protein factors are modulated in target cells encountered by Tregs. The
RiboTag mediated immunopurification of ribosomes followed by mass spectrometry based proteomics will
delineate such changes in the riboproteome (the ribosome itself or ribosome-associated factors) endowed by
Treg encounter in target cells. These studies will break new ground in understanding a novel layer of gene
expression control imposed by Tregs, a critical component in our immune system essential for immunological
tolerance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9844447
- **Project number:** 5R21AI143227-02
- **Recipient organization:** BENAROYA RESEARCH INST AT VIRGINIA MASON
- **Principal Investigator:** Ram Savan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $213,875
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-04 → 2020-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9844447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9844447, Translational Reprogramming by Regulatory T Cells (5R21AI143227-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9844447. Licensed CC0.

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