Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded The Johns Hopkins University a $543,417 Project Grant effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031, under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846). The research initiative focuses on promoting functional neuromuscular regeneration following chronic volumetric muscle loss (VML) in aged mice. The project will deliver three primary research products: (1) establishment and validation of a chronic VML injury model using middle-aged mice with functional testing and advanced imaging techniques to characterize neuromuscular deficits; (2) multi-tissue transcriptomic analyses to identify novel therapeutic targets for promoting neuromuscular regeneration, with mechanistic confirmation through in vivo CRISPR knockouts; and (3) development and testing of a novel bioengineering therapeutic strategy to restore functional neuromuscular junctions—a major challenge in current muscle regeneration approaches.

This research addresses a critical gap in existing preclinical VML models, which typically test acute injury interventions rather than chronic injury scenarios reflective of clinical presentations. The chronic injury model will provide a more clinically relevant platform for evaluating how nerve-muscle signaling disruption and progressive denervation of neuromuscular junctions can be therapeutically addressed, ultimately advancing regenerative medicine approaches for volumetric muscle loss treatment in aging populations.