Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 1R01AI195722-01
Elucidating how environmental perturbations determine the duration of enteric viral infection
Recipient
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Award Amount
$627,483.00
Ceiling
$627,483.00
Awarded
March 30, 2026
Identifier
1R01AI195722-01
The project investigates how environmental stressors affect the duration of enteric viral infections using a mouse model of persistent astrovirus infection, focusing on immune evasion and stress response mechanisms to inform intervention strategies.
Description
This project uses a newly established animal model of chronic astrovirus infection to understand how stressful conditions determine the duration of intestinal infections. The research aims to reveal mechanisms of immune evasion by the virus, especially how goblet cells may serve as immune-privileged niches, and how environmental stressors like cage change procedures influence viral clearance through the glucocorticoid-CD8 T cell axis. The findings could inform strategies to reduce the duration and transmission of viral infections.