Federal Grant Award Summary

South Dakota State University received a $452,869 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded on April 20, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. This research initiative focuses on elucidating the role of intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins—specifically IFT74 and IFT20—in regulating lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) primary cilia and their function in lymphatic valve formation and maturation. The project addresses lymphedema, a condition characterized by impaired lymph transport, tissue fibrosis, and compromised immunosurveillance that is not adequately treated by current standard care.

The research deliverables include mechanistic investigations into how primary cilia enable LECs to sense shear stress and initiate valve development through ciliary signaling pathway analysis, transcriptional studies, and spatial transcriptomics mapping of valve-specific gene networks (Specific Aim 1), as well as investigations into non-ciliary IFT20 regulation of valve maturation through VE-cadherin recycling and integrin adhesion coordination (Specific Aim 2). These findings are intended to identify novel molecular targets for therapeutic intervention in lymphatic valve dysfunction and ultimately advance treatment options beyond existing manual lymph drainage and compression therapies.