Award
NIH Reporter #1R21AI193802-01A1
Human neutralizing autoantibodies to IFN-gamma underlying mycobacterial diseases
Recipient
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Award Amount
$281,500.00
Ceiling
$281,500.00
Awarded
July 29, 2026
Identifier
1R21AI193802-01A1
The award funds research investigating the role of neutralizing autoantibodies to IFN-gamma in tuberculosis, aiming to understand their contribution to disease and potential for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Description
This project aims to test the hypothesis that neutralizing autoantibodies to IFN-gamma can underlie tuberculosis through transiently and/or in lower quantity and/or lower affinity than those underlying infections with environmental mycobacteria. The study will expand upon a pilot cohort of 97 TB patients, investigating whether these autoantibodies are causal in some TB cases, and examining their molecular composition and epitopes. The research seeks to reframe TB not only as an infectious disease but also as one that may arise from autoimmune disruption of IFN-gamma immunity, facilitating advances in diagnosis, counseling, prevention, and treatment.