Excessive, persistent inflammation can cause long-term problems for the body. In this case, infections can trigger an irregular immune response in the neutrophils and macrophages. These immune cells create chronic inflammation, which in turn makes the lungs a more “tumor-friendly” environment.

Fortunately, vaccinations can prime the immune system to respond appropriately, mitigating this cancer promoting behavior. With the global prevalence of COVID-19 and the flu, these results may alter long-term care plans for patients with severe lung infections. These individuals may warrant extra lung cancer screenings, similar to those smokers receive.

Read more about this study in Research in Motion, here.

We had an excellent showing at the 2026 American Association of Immunologists meeting. Congratulations to all our presenters and award recipients!

A major new federal grant is set to advance research into respiratory immunity at the University of Virginia, where Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor Jie Sun, PhD, has been awarded a $3.8 million from the National Institutes of Health.

The funding supports a five-year project titled “Decoding Cellular Networks Governing Respiratory Mucosal IgA Immunity,” aimed at uncovering how the body builds immune defenses in the respiratory tract following infection or vaccination.

Sun, who serves in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Co-Directs the Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, said the work targets a critical gap in current immunology.

“Despite advances in vaccines and therapeutics, we still lack a clear understanding of how strong mucosal immunity—especially IgA responses—is generated in the respiratory system,” Sun said. “That knowledge is essential for designing the next generation of vaccines.”

Addressing a Key Immunity Gap
Respiratory mucosal immunity, particularly involving immunoglobulin A (IgA), plays a frontline role in defending against airborne pathogens. However, the biological mechanisms that drive robust IgA responses after infection or vaccination remain poorly understood.

This gap has become increasingly important in the wake of evolving respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and its variants, where improved mucosal protection could significantly reduce transmission and severity.

The NIH-funded R01 project is built around the central hypothesis that effective respiratory immunity depends on localized interactions among pulmonary macrophages, CD4 T cells, and B cells within the lungs and airways.

Three Research Aims
The study will pursue three major objectives:

• Identify how respiratory CD4+ T cells promote IgA production directly within lung tissues.
• Examine how TGFβ-dependent interactions between macrophages and B cells regulate mucosal IgA responses.
• Define the molecular and functional characteristics of cross-reactive IgA-producing B cells that can respond to multiple respiratory pathogens.

Researchers believe these insights could pave the way for vaccines that provide stronger, longer-lasting protection at the site where infections begin.

Collaborative Effort
The project brings together a multidisciplinary team across UVA. Collaborators include:

• In Su Cheon, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health
• Chongzhi Zang, PhD, Department of Genome Sciences
• Justin Taylor, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health

Implications for Future Vaccines
By decoding the cellular networks that drive mucosal immunity, the research could inform the development of next-generation vaccines designed not only to prevent severe illness but also to block infection at the point of entry.

Such advances may prove critical in combating emerging respiratory threats, including new variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other airborne pathogens.

“This work has the potential to reshape how we approach vaccine design,” Sun said. “Ultimately, our goal is to enhance protection at the mucosal level and strengthen public health defenses against respiratory diseases.”

See link for full details: https://www.immunology.virginia.edu/event/the-annual-meeting-of-the-aai-located-in-boston-ma/

2026 AAI Meeting Website: https://immunology2026.aai.org/

Look for these CIC members at the 2026 AAI meeting presenting their research.

A vibrant exchange of scientific discovery and potential strategic collaboration took place February 23–24, 2026 at the University of Virginia, as researchers from AstraZeneca met with faculty from across the School of Medicine. 

The Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center and the Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research hosted the two-day event, that brought together members of AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) team, alongside its Respiratory & Immunology (R&I) team — including representatives from the company’s Open Innovation and Corporate Affairs teams— with UVA investigators and leadership from the School of Medicine (SOM) and the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR). 

Strong Institutional Engagement 

The meetings reflected deep engagement on both sides. More than 60 UVA faculty laboratories submitted one-page proposals outlining innovative research programs and potential areas for collaboration with AstraZeneca. Following review, 33 labs were selected to present their science and participate in focused discussions about how future collaborations could be structured to accelerate discovery and therapeutic development. 

The breadth of science represented underscored UVA’s strengths across cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, respiratory, and immunologic research. Topics ranged from inflammatory drivers of cardiometabolic disease and immune-mediated tissue injury to biomarker discovery, advanced human model systems, translational data science, and novel therapeutic targets. 

UVA School of Medicine and Office of Research leadership were in attendance throughout the program, signaling institutional commitment to fostering high-impact academic–industry partnerships and supporting pathways that move discovery from bench to bedside. 

Science at the Interface of Disciplines 

A recurring theme of the meetings was the growing intersection between immune biology and cardiometabolic disease. Investigators from across the school of medicine highlighted advances in heart failure, vascular biology, thrombosis, and metabolic regulation. Other colleagues presented cutting-edge work in immune signaling, inflammation, host defense, and tissue homeostasis. 

AstraZeneca scientists engaged deeply with presenters, exploring how UVA’s mechanistic discoveries could align with the company’s global capabilities in drug development, translational medicine, and clinical trials. The presence of AstraZeneca’s Open Innovation Team created opportunities to discuss flexible partnership models, while Corporate Strategy leaders examined long-term alignment and portfolio integration. 

From Dialogue to Discovery 

The format emphasized interaction. Following each presentation, robust scientific discussion focused not only on experimental findings but also on practical next steps — from target validation and preclinical modeling to biomarker strategy and patient stratification. 

Networking sessions and smaller breakout meetings allowed faculty and AstraZeneca representatives to explore specific collaboration concepts in greater depth. Conversations centered on building sustainable connections designed to generate new discoveries and ultimately improve outcomes for patients worldwide. 

With strong participation, engaged institutional leadership, and cross-disciplinary scientific exchange, the February gathering marked an important milestone in strengthening ties between UVA and AstraZeneca. Participants left with a shared sense of momentum — and a commitment to advancing innovative science through collaboration in service of global patient care.

Link to Article on the UVA Research Website

As Beirne Carter predicted in 1989 when he established the CIC, immunology has emerged as a pivotal discipline in the discovery of new treatments for a host of conditions such as autoimmunity, cancer, infection, neurologic, allergic, cardiometabolic, renal and lung disease.  “Today, immunologists in the CIC are discovering novel immune mechanisms and pathways with the potential to lead to new and improved therapies for patients with these immune-mediated diseases,” explains Coleen McNamara, MD (Co-Director of the CIC). Yet, translating research discoveries in immunology from the lab to the clinic can be challenging and burdensome. 

To alleviate these challenges and to make translational research more accessible for UVA researchers, HIPI will provide staff and seed funding to catalyze translating discovery to the patient. The initiative will facilitate UVA researchers’ efforts to provide customized, optimized treatments based on a patient’s unique immune “fingerprint,” ensuring the right medicines get to the right patients at the right time. Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, Associate Professor Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology and Jeff Sturek, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, will serve as the inaugural co-directors of HIPI. Together, they represent the clinical and fundamental research expertise that HIPI will wield to improve patient outcomes.

The CIC is grateful for the almost $13M invested by BCF in the Center since its inception. Beirne Carter and former UVA Dean Robert Carey shared the belief that immunology had the ability to transform patient care. The BCF reaffirmed this vision in 2009 with a pledge to help build the Carter-Harrison Research Building, where the CIC now resides. More recently, the BCF, now led by Carter’s daughter, Rossie Hutcheson, has supported research funding, travel and event sponsorship to enhance the CIC’s work.

With the support of the BCF, HIPI will facilitate advances in effective, targeted, and minimally invasive treatments for chronic diseases. The new Initiative will uplift the CIC and the immunology community across UVA, building on the foundations Carter and Hutcheson have provided. The CIC extends its deepest gratitude to Hutcheson and the BCF for their continued belief in the transformational power of immunological research.

“We are hoping to catalyze our discoveries into paradigm-shifting immune therapies, not only for cancer patients, but also other diseases in which the microbiome is dysregulated.”

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) compare the genetic codes of people who suffer from a particular condition and those who do not. The comparison reveals a subset of genetic variants that determine susceptibility to developing the condition. These studies do not directly identify culprit genes or reveal mechanism how these genes may function in the disease context, however. They do not pinpoint pathways, which of the patient’s cells are affected by the genetic variations, or how to target these genes for treatment. The Zhou lab aims to fill out these connections using integrative and multidisciplinary approaches. They specialize in conditions affecting the lungs—asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis. By describing all the biological steps between a mistake in someone’s DNA and the disease that arises from it, Zhou and her team turn biostatistical associations into molecular insights that can lead to new treatments for the most prevalent lung diseases.

“I’m an ambitious person,” says Zhou. “I want to see the end product of our work benefit patients.” To that end, Zhou has launched an early-stage business venture, G2Q, based on her research portfolio. She is also excited to be embedded in the collaborative research ventures at UVA, including the CIC. In fact, it was CIC member Jie Sun, PhD, who initially encouraged Zhou to explore a move to UVA. She is excited to join the CIC community and expand her research network. The Zhou lab seeks an MD-PhD student to join the team, and interested parties should contact Zhou for additional information.

Per the National Cancer Institute, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women globally and the fifth leading cause of cancer death for women in the US. This is in part due to the cancer being difficult to detect before it has spread to other organs – nearly 80% of patients are diagnosed after the cancer has metastasized, which makes the disease much more difficult to treat. Patients will often respond well to early treatments, but their cancers very commonly recur and develop resistance to chemotherapy. Immune therapies, which harness and amplify the body’s natural defenses against cancer and disease, have transformed patient care in other cancers, but remain ineffective against ovarian cancer. The Rutkowski Lab will use this award to study how molecular signaling between bacterial flagellin and the tumor cell can smother the patient’s immune response, making immune therapies ineffective.

Rutkowski is an expert in understanding how the bacteria that live in our bodies affect cancer progression. As tumors grow, they create a microenvironment within the body. For example, some tumors actively create an acidic microenvironment, which breaks down the surrounding tissues, making it easier for the cancer to spread. These microenvironmental changes can alter the balance of bacterial species around the tumor, allowing bacteria from the mouth and gut to inhabit tissues they ordinarily could not survive in. Recently, the lab discovered that bacterial flagellin in ovarian tumors can inhibit immune therapies through TLR5 signaling, a pathway that normally activates the immune system in response to bacterial infections. Rutkowski and coworkers will use this grant award to understand this TLR5 paradox and to devise strategies that disrupt the cancer-bacterial alliance. Rutkowski and her team anticipate that this work will improve the efficacy of immune therapies for ovarian tumors, which have been largely ineffective, resulting in enhanced outcomes for women diagnosed with this disease.