Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Award Details: The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded Brigham and Women's Hospital a Project Grant of $683,016 under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846) on May 8, 2026, with a completion date of April 30, 2031.

Project Scope: The research project investigates the role of HOX genes in musculoskeletal development using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived in vitro models. The project addresses the significant functional redundancy within the HOX gene family by leveraging newly developed human iPSC-based cell culture systems that recapitulate early stages of skeletal muscle development. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, the research team has created a series of HOX cluster deletions in human iPSC lines to examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying HOX gene function during development, with particular focus on somitic derivatives including skeletal muscle and motoneurons. This in vitro approach circumvents the lethality associated with complete HOX cluster deletions in whole organisms, enabling comprehensive investigation of gene functions that have remained poorly understood despite nearly 50 years of research.