Federal Grant Award Summary

Pennsylvania State University's Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center received a $163,665 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2031. Under this five-year Career Development and Research program, Principal Investigator Dr. Yongji Zeng will conduct fundamental biomedical research investigating the molecular mechanisms governing gastric zymogenic (chief) cell plasticity and reprogramming, with specific focus on how the proteins YAP1 (Yes-Associated Protein 1) and TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) regulate the balance between adaptive tissue regeneration and pathological transformation (metaplasia).

The research deliverables include: (1) identification of transcriptional and functional checkpoints that distinguish regenerative outcomes from metaplastic outcomes through manipulation of known paligenosis regulators and lineage tracing studies; and (2) characterization of TAZ's previously unexplored role in chief cell fate determination using novel mouse models and human gastric tissue datasets, including analysis of functional interactions between TAZ and YAP1. The ultimate objective is to define the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which YAP1 and TAZ regulate chief cell plasticity, with potential applications to understanding gastric cancer risk, autoimmune gastritis, and regenerative medicine.