Project Grant F30CA310112

The National Cancer Institute awarded The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York (operating as Stony Brook University) $130,941 on December 1, 2026, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to support biomedical training in cancer research.

The award funds research on the role of apelin in skeletal muscle during cancer cachexia development and recovery. Cancer cachexia affects up to 80 percent of cancer patients and accounts for up to 20 percent of cancer deaths, resulting in decreased physical ability, reduced therapy efficacy, and increased mortality and morbidity. The research uses a mouse model developed by the principal investigator to study both cachexia development and recovery in the same animal. Preliminary RNA sequencing analysis of quadriceps from cachectic and recovering mice identified increased denervation during cachexia development and increased reinnervation during recovery, suggesting neuromuscular junctions play a role in muscle atrophy and regeneration. Apelin emerged as the most upregulated hormone in skeletal muscle during recovery; the hormone is anti-inflammatory and involved in metabolism and muscle regeneration. The research hypothesizes that apelin contributes to muscle atrophy and regain through neuromuscular junction disassembly and reassembly. Initial work will employ single-cell RNA sequencing to identify cells expressing apelin and the apelin receptor during cachexia development and recovery.

Performance occurs in Stony Brook, New York, with an ultimate completion date of May 17, 2029. The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York is the administrative parent and fiscal agent for the SUNY system.