The federal Project Grant award R01AI185618 was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) to Pennsylvania State University, doing business as Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in the amount of $707,534. The grant, with a project period from February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2030, supports research to investigate the role of the ZFAND6 protein in regulating mitophagy (the degradation of damaged mitochondria) and its impact on inflammation and the NLRP3 inflammasome. The research aims to provide new insights into the cellular mechanisms that prevent the release of mitochondrial DNA and subsequent activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, which has been implicated in various inflammatory diseases. The findings from this project are expected to advance the understanding of mitophagy regulation and its connections to innate immune sensing and chronic inflammation.
Generated 3/4/25, 3:50 AM