Project Grant F32DK149572

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded The General Hospital Corporation (doing business as Massachusetts General Hospital) $158,696 on January 17, 2027, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to support research investigating the role of intestinal fibrosis in Hirschsprung disease.

The research characterizes cellular and molecular features of the aganglionic bowel segment and tests anti-fibrotic therapeutic approaches to address a congenital enteric neuropathy characterized by absent enteric ganglia and impaired intestinal motility. Current surgical management leaves at least 50 percent of patients with late complications including persistent obstructive symptoms, fecal soiling, post-operative enterocolitis, pelvic nerve injury, and unexplained dysmotility. The project proposes that fibrotic remodeling of the gut wall, rather than neuronal or protein imbalance, drives the tonic contraction observed in aganglionic segments, opening new treatment avenues.

Performance runs from January 17, 2027, through June 30, 2028, with work performed in Boston, Massachusetts. The award is classified as a Project Grant under the assistance type structure. MGH's Research Management Division is the recipient organization and principal performer of the research.