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Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy

NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

open
OpenLast verified: 2026-06-20

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY A critical hurdle to further improving the quality of life for people living with HIV (PLWH) is the need to resolve the residual immune activation and inflammation that persists even in those taking effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), which suppresses HIV replication. This unresolved and persistent immune activation is associated with increased type-I interferon (IFN-I) signaling, and increased incidence of comorbidities. Encouragingly, reports demonstrate that blocking IFN-I signaling in animal models of HIV infection can reduce HIV reservoirs and restore T cell immune function. We hypothesize that blocking IFN-I would likewise augment engineered T cell-based therapies against HIV, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Our prior work has demonstrated that when engineered to express both the 4-1BB and CD28 costimulatory domains and protected from HIV infection, HIV-specific CD4 ectodomain CAR T cells can reduce acute viremia, prevent CD4+ T cell loss, and reduce viral burden in the tissues of HIV-infected humanized mice. However, the reduction of plasma viral loads was ultimately transient, suggesting that the potency of HIV-specific CAR T cells should be further optimized for clinical translation. Our preliminary data highlights interferon-beta (IFNb) as a key immunosuppressive IFN-I negatively regulating CAR T cell proliferation, and we demonstrate that neutralizing IFNb in vivo enhanced the engraftment and persistence of HIV-specific CAR T cells adoptively transferred into HIV-infected ART- suppressed humanized mice. This proposal will interrogate whether IFNb neutralization augments CAR T cell therapy through 1) identifying the mechanism(s) by which chronic IFNb exposure mediates HIV-specific CAR T cell dysfunction, and 2) determining the effect of neutralizing IFNb on CAR T cell function and persistence in HIV infection in vivo. The proposed aims seek to develop the neutralization of IFNb as a novel immunotherapy approach to maximize the potency of HIV-specific CAR T cells aimed at achieving a functional HIV cure.

Grant Summary

Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy is a NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant providing up to $507K for university, nonprofit, healthcare org. Applications are due 2028-05-31 (open). Check eligibility and apply with FindGrants.

Focus Areas

health research

Eligibility

universitynonprofithealthcare org

How to Apply

Funding Range

Up to $507K

Deadline

2028-05-31

Complexity
Medium
  1. 1Confirm your organization is eligible for Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy from NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, checking organization type, location, and any population or project requirements.
  2. 2Gather the required documents and information, including your organization details, project plan, and budget figures.
  3. 3Draft your application narrative and budget addressing the funder's priorities and review criteria. FindGrants can draft each section for you to review and edit.
  4. 4Review every section against the requirements checklist, then export a submission-ready application pack and submit it to NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases before the deadline.
This record is a past award, contract, or funder profile — useful for research, but not an open grant application. Check the original source for current opportunities from this funder.

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Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy?

Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy is offered by NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is generally open to university, nonprofit, healthcare org. It is open to organizations nationwide unless the funder specifies otherwise. Review the specific eligibility terms before applying, since funders set their own requirements around organization type, location, and the population or project being served.

How much funding does the Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy provide?

Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy provides up to $507K per award from NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Actual award sizes depend on the scope of your project, available program funds, and the number of applicants, so build a budget that reflects realistic, allowable costs rather than the maximum figure.

When is the Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy deadline?

Applications for Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy are due 2028-05-31 (open). Because deadlines can change, verify the date with the funder, NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and give yourself enough time to prepare a complete, competitive application before the close date.

How do you apply for the Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy?

To apply for Neutralizing persistent IFN-I to improve HIV-specific CAR T cell therapy, confirm your eligibility, gather the required documents, and prepare a narrative and budget that address the funder's priorities. FindGrants guides you step by step and can draft each section, then exports a submission-ready application pack for this grant from NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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