Project Grant R01HL182745

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded The Children's Hospital Corporation (doing business as Boston Children's Hospital) $825,533 for Project Grant R01HL182745 on September 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837).

The project investigates glycorna-based control of angiogenesis through heparan sulfate binding growth factors. Research focuses on how vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) orchestrates vascular and cardiac development by binding to endothelial cells through heparan sulfate proteoglycans. The work builds on recent discoveries of glycosylated RNAs (glycornas) and clustered domains of RNA binding proteins on cell surfaces, examining whether these components contribute to external interactions critical for growth factor signaling. The research has identified that heparan sulfate chains containing 6-O-sulfate groups are necessary for formation of glycorna-RNA binding protein clusters and that these clusters are dynamically organized, with implications for how heparan sulfate-binding growth factors regulate signal transduction across the plasma membrane.

Performance occurs in Boston, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through May 31, 2030. The award is classified as a Project Grant, the primary research funding mechanism under the NHLBI's Cardiovascular Diseases Research program.