Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) awarded the University of Colorado-Denver $547,371 on May 1, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to support a five-year research project extending through January 31, 2031. The project focuses on investigating telomere entanglements—persistent DNA bridges that form when replication forks stall at dysfunctional telomeres—and their impact on genome stability. The research will examine the molecular mechanisms governing telomere entanglement formation and resolution, with emphasis on understanding how telomere-binding proteins, long noncoding telomeric ribonucleic acids (RNAs), and RECQ helicases contribute to these DNA structures and how cells resolve them during mitosis.

The project delivers foundational scientific knowledge regarding fundamental processes of cellular aging and genomic instability, directly supporting NIA's mission to understand mechanisms of aging and age-related disease. The research is expected to generate insights into how progressive telomere erosion in human somatic cells compromises protective functions and contributes to chromosomal instability, with potential implications for understanding aging-related pathologies. As a Project Grant under the Aging Research program, this award supports biomedical research directed toward greater understanding of the aging process and age-related cellular dysfunction.