College of Medicine Researchers Receive $275,000 Grant
Guoxing Zheng and Aoshuang Chen, researchers at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, have received funding for their project, Immunization Against Atherosclerosis, from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). They will receive $275,000 over a two year period. This grant focuses upon developing a vaccination strategy that may reduce atherosclerosis by preferentially raising CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg), a T cell subset known to suppress pathogenic immune responses to self-antigens over-expressed in atherosclerotic lesions. The completion of this study may lead to not only the development of a new, effective immunotherapy for atherosclerosis but also the generation of valuable insights into the role of antigen-specific Treg in regulating atherogenesis.
The University of Illinois Rockford is located at 1601 Parkview Avenue in Rockford and has served the area since 1971 as a regional academic health science center.
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