Project Grant R01DC023579

The University of Pittsburgh received a $659,250 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). The award, obligated on May 7, 2026, with completion expected by April 30, 2031, supports fundamental research investigating critical mechanisms of hair cell protein trafficking and auditory function. The project focuses on identifying and characterizing molecular regulators—specifically transmembrane O-methyltransferase (TOMT) and peroxisomal biogenesis proteins (PEX3, PEX16, and PEX19)—that control the localization and assembly of mechanotransduction channel components within cochlear hair cells. Understanding these trafficking mechanisms addresses significant knowledge gaps regarding how the pore-forming subunits of the mechanotransduction channel, which converts sound waves into electrical signals essential for hearing, are properly assembled and positioned within stereocilia.

This research directly supports NIDCD's mission to investigate solutions to hearing loss and other communication disorders by elucidating the molecular basis of hereditary hearing loss linked to defects in protein localization. The project delivers scientific research services including cellular and molecular characterization of protein trafficking pathways, mechanistic analysis of chaperone-mediated protein stability and localization, and identification of hair-cell-specific regulatory factors essential for auditory function. The findings are expected to advance understanding of how protein trafficking deficiencies contribute to hearing loss and may inform future therapeutic interventions targeting these molecular mechanisms.