Membrane Associated Signaling Defects in Immune Cells with Aging (R21)

The summary for the Membrane Associated Signaling Defects in Immune Cells with Aging (R21) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the National Institutes of Health, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Membrane Associated Signaling Defects in Immune Cells with Aging (R21): -The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate investigations that will define the molecular basis for the impairment of the formation and function of immune synapses in immune cells from aged individuals. Previous work has suggested that immune synapse formation in T lymphocytes is affected by the cellular aging process, resulting in attenuated signal transduction and decreased T cell activation. The plasma membrane of T cells, in addition to various other cell types of the immune system, is organized into glycolipoprotein microdomains that play an important role in signal integration and cellular activation. It has been postulated that altered lipid composition and/or function of associated signaling molecules within these membrane signaling domains may play a role in the defective signaling and activation observed in aged T lymphocytes. Various biophysical and imaging methods have been recently developed that allow visualization of the kinetics of immune synapse formation in lymphocytes and it is the intent of this RFA to serve as a catalyst to further develop and apply these methodologies to elucidate the underlying mechanism of impaired signal transduction in immune cells from aged individuals. -This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will utilize the R21 grant mechanism. -The NIA intends to commit a total of $1.5 million in FY2007 for applications responsive to this announcement.