Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awarded a Project Grant of $693,185 to The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on June 15, 2026, under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121). The award supports a four-year and nine-month research initiative extending through March 31, 2031, focusing on mechanistic investigations into amelogenin alternative splicing and its regulatory roles in dental enamel development and disease pathogenesis.

This research project will generate fundamental scientific knowledge regarding how mutations in the amelogenin gene disrupt the alternative splicing process to cause X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta (X-AI), a genetic disorder characterized by defective enamel formation. Specifically, the research will investigate exon 4 splicing regulation in both healthy and disease states, elucidate the role of mir-exon4 (a microRNA regulatory molecule) in controlling this splicing process, and characterize the feedback mechanisms that maintain normal enamel development. The project aims to advance understanding of how splicing factor proteins recognize regulatory sequences within the amelogenin gene and determine whether exon 4 is included or excluded from the messenger RNA template. The findings are expected to contribute to prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies for oral and craniofacial health disorders, consistent with NIDCR's mission to translate basic research discoveries into clinically relevant interventions.