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Principal Investigator: Benjamin L. Wright
Organization: MAYO CLINIC ARIZONA
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $189,864
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
ABSTRACT
This K23 award application requests support for the career development of Dr. Benjamin Wright, Assistant
Professor in the Division of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology at Mayo Clinic Arizona. The candidate’s
overall goal is to become an independent, clinician-investigator and improve the health of individuals with
eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and food allergy through patient-oriented research. This award will provide the
training and support needed to accomplish this goal. Specifically, this proposal will enable Dr. Wright to
accomplish the following short-term career goals: (1) acquire training in methods and design of clinical studies
and trials in food allergy; (2) develop skills in basic/translational research techniques; (3) develop professional
skills necessary to lead a translational research team; and (4) gather preliminary data and biospecimens for a
subsequent R01 application and establish an independent research program in food allergy and eosinophilic
gastrointestinal disorders. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an emerging treatment for food allergy. Although most
patients can be successfully desensitized with OIT, many develop gastrointestinal side effects including EoE.
EoE is a chronic allergic condition associated with severe esophageal dysfunction. The specific goals of the
research proposal are to examine the mechanisms underlying the gastrointestinal side effects of OIT and to
develop a novel treatment strategy to prevent them. To accomplish this, we will perform a sub-study of a
placebo-controlled trial in patients with milk allergy treated with milk OIT with or without dupilumab. During the
trial, we will serially monitor eosinophilic inflammation, markers of esophageal barrier dysfunction, and immune
responses in peripheral blood and in the esophagus. To support Dr. Wright’s career development, he will
acquire skills in cellular immunology and complete a basic science internship focusing on cutting-edge
proteomic analysis of clinical samples. In addition, he will complete formal didactic coursework in clinical
research study design, biostatistics, and bioethics. Dr. Wright has assembled a mentoring committee
comprised of international experts in food allergy, EoE, proteomics, eosinophil biology, and type 2 immunity
uniquely suited to address the hypotheses set forth in this proposal and guide Dr. Wright’s career
development. This proposal combines the strength of the research environment at Mayo Clinic and an ongoing
collaboration with Stanford University that provides an ideal setting to pursue the aforementioned training and
research goals. At the conclusion of this program, Dr. Wright will have the skillset and experience required to
transition to independence and lead a translational research team. Successful completion of this project will
likely provide a major and sustained impact on the care of patients with food allergy by providing critical
insights into the pathogenesis of food allergy and EoE.
Terms: <Acceleration><Address><Adhesion Molecule><Adverse effects><Allergic><Allergic Disease><Allergic to food><Allergy><Allergy to food><Allergy to peanuts><Antibodies><Applications Grants><Arizona><Asthma><Atopic Dermatitis><Atopic Eczema><Atopic Neurodermatitis><Award><B cell growth factor><B-Cell Differentiation Factor-1><B-Cell Growth Factor-1><B-Cell Growth Factor-I><B-Cell Proliferating Factor><B-Cell Stimulating Factor><B-Cell Stimulating Factor-1><B-Cell Stimulation Factor-1><B-Cell Stimulatory Factor-1><BCDF-1><BCGF><BCGF-1><BCSF 1><BSF-1><BSF1><Basal Cell Hyperplasia><Basic Research><Basic Science><Binetrakin><Bioethics><Biological Markers><Biology><Biomedical Ethics><Biometrics><Biometry><Biostatistics><Blood><Blood Eosinophil><Blood Reticuloendothelial System><Body Tissues><Bronchial Asthma><CCL26><CCL26 gene><CD106><CD106 Antigens><Caring><Cell Adhesion Molecule Gene><Cell Adhesion Molecules><Cell Communication and Signaling><Cell Signaling><Cellular Immunology><Characteristics><Chemoattractants><Chemokine, CC Motif, Ligand 26><Chemotactic Factors><Chemotaxins><Chronic><Clinic><Clinical><Clinical Immunology><Clinical Research><Clinical Study><Clinical Trials><Collaborations><Data><Development><Diagnosis><Disease><Disorder><Disseminated Neurodermatitis><Dropsy><Dysfunction><EOTAXIN 3><Edema><Endoscopic Biopsy><Environment><Eosinophilia><Eosinophilic Esophagitis><Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease><Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder><Eosinophilic Granulocyte><Eosinophilic Leukocyte><Epithelium><Esophagus><Event><Exposure to><Extracellular Space><FDA approved><Food><Food Allergy><Food Hypersensitivity><Functional disorder><Funding><Goals><Grant Proposals><Groundnut Hypersensitivity><Health><Hour><Hydrops><Hypersensitivity><IL-13><IL-4><IL13><IL4 Protein><INCAM-110><Iatrogenesis><IgE><Immune Tolerance><Immune response><Immunity><Immunochemical Immunologic><Immunoglobulin E><Immunologic><Immunologic Tolerance><Immunological><Immunological response><Immunologically><Immunologics><Immunology><Individual><Inducible Cell Adhesion Molecule 110><Intercellular Space><Interleukin-13><Interleukin-4><Interleukin-4 Precursor><International><Internships><Intracellular Communication and Signaling><Investigators><K23 Award><K23 Mechanism><K23 Program><Knowledge><Lead><Life><Lymphocyte Stimulatory Factor 1><MCGF-2><Marrow Eosinophil><Mast Cell Growth Factor-2><Mediating><Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award><Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)><Mentors><Mentorship><Methods><Milk><Milk Allergy><Milk Hypersensitivity><Monitor><Multiple Polyps><NIH><NIH RFA><Nasal><Nasal Passages Nose><National Institutes of Health><Nose><Outcome><PBMC><Parents><Pathogenesis><Patient Care><Patient Care Delivery><Patients><Pb element><Peanut Hypersensitivity><Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell><Physiopathology><Placebos><Predisposition><Production><Proteomics><Randomized><Request for Applications><Research><Research Design><Research Personnel><Research Proposals><Research Technics><Research Techniques><Research Training><Researchers><Respiratory System, Nose, Nasal Passages><Risk><SCYA26><Safety><Sampling><Sham Treatment><Signal Transduction><Signal Transduction Systems><Signaling><Small Inducible Cytokine Subfamily A, Member 26><Study Type><Susceptibility><Symptoms><T-Cell Growth Factor 2><Testing><Th-2 Cell><Th2 Cells><Tissues><Training><Translating><Translational Research><Translational Science><Type 2 Helper Cell><United States National Institutes of Health><Universities><VCAM><VCAM-1><Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule><Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1><allergic dermatitis><allergic eczema><allergic to milk><allergic to peanuts><allergy to milk><bio-markers><biologic marker><biological signal transduction><biomarker><care for patients><care of patients><career><career development><caring for patients><cell adhesion protein><clinical practice><complement chemotactic factor><cytokine><desensitization><design><designing><developmental><double-blind placebo control trial><double-blind placebo controlled trial><double-masked controlled trial><eosinophil><eosinophilic inflammation><experience><food antigen><gastrointestinal><gastrointestinal symptom><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><host response><iatrogenic><iatrogenically><iatrogenicity><immune system response><immune system tolerance><immune unresponsiveness><immunological paralysis><immunoresponse><immunotherapy clinical trials><improved><insight><intern><minimally invasive><novel><oral immunotherapy><parent><pathophysiology><patient oriented research><patient oriented study><peanut allergy><peripheral blood><placebo control trial><placebo controlled trial><polyposis><prevent><preventing><professor><programs><prospective><randomisation><randomization><randomly assigned><response><sham therapy><side effect><skill acquisition><skill development><skills><study design><translation research><translational investigation><treatment strategy>