Project Grant R01HD120470

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey $432,421 on August 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to evaluate the protective efficacy and genomic stability of a checkpoint kinase 2 inhibitor (CK2II) against cyclophosphamide-induced gonadotoxicity in mouse and human ovarian follicles.

The research addresses off-target damage to ovarian germ cells in female cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy, which depletes primordial follicles and can result in primary ovarian insufficiency, endocrine dysfunction, and infertility in prepubertal girls and women of reproductive age. Prior studies demonstrated that oocytes pretreated with CK2II before cyclophosphamide exposure survived and progressed into growing follicles, preserving ovarian function in female mice. This study investigates whether CK2II inhibition can serve as an adjuvant therapeutic intervention while assessing potential adverse effects on genomic stability in both germ and somatic cells, given that checkpoint kinase 2 plays a critical role in regulating cell cycle and maintaining genomic stability in response to DNA damage.

Performance occurs at the recipient's Newark, New Jersey location. The period of performance runs from August 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031. The award is classified as a Project Grant, an assistance type. Rutgers operates as the research-performing entity within its Robert Wood Johnson Health Sciences organizational structure.