# Development of Cellular Tools and Techniques to Identify Low Affinity T Cells

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2020 · $230,250

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Each naïve cell within the T cell repertoire expresses a unique T cell receptor (TCR) that allows it to recognize
peptide antigens in the context of major histocompatibility (pMHC) molecules. TCR-pMHC interactions are the
chief determinants of long-lived adaptive immunity against microbial infections and cancer. The use of pMHC
tetramers to identify and study T cells expressing TCRs of high affinity for their cognate ligand has been
transformational for our understanding of T cell-mediated immunity. However, problems with their production
and a failure of these reagents to detect T cells expressing low affinity TCRs have led to significant limits on
our knowledge of T cell responses. Here we propose to develop a technique that can be readily used to make
a broad range of pMHC and detect T cells expressing TCRs of low affinity for their cognate pMHC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9974912
- **Project number:** 1R21AI146966-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael S Kuhns
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $230,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-09 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9974912

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9974912, Development of Cellular Tools and Techniques to Identify Low Affinity T Cells (1R21AI146966-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9974912. Licensed CC0.

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