# Target antigen identification to improve Salmonella vaccination

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $382,319

## Abstract

Typhoid and Non-Typhoidal Salmonellosis (NTS) are systemic diseases that annually cause 1 million global
deaths. Given the impact of these infections on infants, the elderly, and immune suppressed individudals, a
safe and effective sub-unit vaccine could have an enormous impact on this disease. While significant gains
have been made in identifying the Salmonella target antigens recognized by systemic immune responses, we
still know almost nothing about the target antigens recognized by tissue resident lymphocytes, a population
that we now know is critical for the protective efficacy of live Salmonella vaccines. This application will focus on
protective tissue resident memory (TRM) Th1 cells elicited by a protective live Salmonella vaccine and identify
protective target antigens recognized by these cells. Our experimental approach is unique in that it will use
natural water contamination challenge, a mouse model where CD4 TRM Th1 cells actively participate in
protective immunity, and a set of tools that allow direct visualization of Salmonella-specific CD4 T cells. Our
application specifically proposes to, (i) determine the role of tissue-resident memory T cells in the elimination of
persistent Salmonella, (ii) uncover the unique TRM T cell receptors that allow greater protection against
Salmonella infection, and (iii) identify the antigens recognized by this T cell subset and determine whether they
can improve the effectiveness of a sub-unit vaccine for Salmonella.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9932336
- **Project number:** 5R01AI139410-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** STEPHEN J MCSORLEY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $382,319
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9932336

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9932336, Target antigen identification to improve Salmonella vaccination (5R01AI139410-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9932336. Licensed CC0.

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