TREAT-TRM – Tissue-resident T cells as treatment targets in Graft-versus host disease
Grantee: Johanna Strobl, Senior postdoc, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Amount: DKK 2,710,583
Grant category: Research Grants
Year: 2025
Geography: Austria
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious complication of bone marrow transplantation, where donor immune cells attack the patient’s skin and other organs. In its different acute and chronic forms, GVHD can cause painful skin rashes, scarring, and long-term disability. Recent discoveries show that special long-lived immune cells, tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM), survive in the skin and drive this persistent inflammation. Current treatments do not specifically target these cells, which may explain why GVHD often flares up after treatment cessation. Our project will study skin samples from GVHD patients using cutting-edge technologies to uncover how TRM survive, reactivate, and interact with other cells in different GVHD stages. By identifying unique features and weaknesses of these cells, we aim to pave the way for new therapies that more effectively control chronic skin inflammation—improving care for GVHD patients and informing treatment of similar skin diseases.