Federal Grant Award Summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center received a $168,296 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded on October 5, 2026, with completion expected by April 5, 2029. The award funds research investigating the role of growth hormone (GH) and signal transducers and activators of transcription 2 (STAT2) in modulating neuroimmune signaling and mast cell recruitment in neonatal inflammatory pain. The research will employ nerve-targeted gene knockdown strategies in neonates with carrageenan-induced hind paw muscle inflammation, utilizing pain-related behavioral assays and advanced imaging techniques including light sheet microscopy to evaluate outcomes.

The project addresses a critical gap in understanding pain modulation mechanisms in neonates during inflammatory response. Specifically, the research aims to test the hypothesis that GH modulates STAT-dependent neuroimmune signaling through poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 14 (PARP14)-dependent mechanisms to regulate muscle pain and inflammation. The deliverables include preclinical research data, experimental findings on inflammatory mediator expression and immune cell recruitment patterns, and potentially novel insights into neuronal signaling pathways that could inform pediatric pain management approaches. This work is part of NIAID's broader mission to support biomedical research on infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases through competitive peer-reviewed mechanisms.