Federal Grant Award Summary

This Project Grant, awarded on April 23, 2026, by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director under the Trans-NIH Research Support program (CFDA 93.310), provides $1.40 million in funding to Michigan State University's Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership through April 22, 2029. The award supports research investigating the mechanisms of lung toxicity resulting from skin exposure to vesicating agents, specifically sulfur mustard (SM), nitrogen mustard (NM), and phosgene oxime (CX). The research project will identify and characterize the systemic and pulmonary injury pathways triggered by dermal exposure to these chemical agents, with particular emphasis on mast cell activation and immune response mechanisms that contribute to acute and long-term lung damage.

The principal research deliverables include preclinical studies using mouse models to delineate the biological mechanisms underlying vesicant-induced lung injury from dermal exposure, establishment of the role of mast cells and associated signaling pathways in toxicity development, and generation of data supporting future therapeutic interventions for vesicant exposure injuries. This research addresses a critical gap in understanding secondary lung toxicity from dermal chemical agent exposure and aims to inform the development of effective treatment approaches for injuries that may result in mortality and chronic morbidity.