Project Grant R01HL183504

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded New York University $872,787 on August 10, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to conduct proteomic discovery and validation research on chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), the most severe form of peripheral artery disease.

The award funds development of proteomic signatures to predict major adverse limb events (MALE) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in CLTI patients, and to guide therapeutic response to rivaroxaban, a low-dose antithrombotic agent. The work leverages two harmonized National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute cohorts (TIDE and PACE) and the Voyager-PAD trial, which enrolled 1,533 CLTI patients. The research applies multiplex proteomics (Olink Explore platform) to quantify thousands of circulating proteins linked to vascular pathology, supplemented by lipid and lipoprotein measurements to address high-molecular-weight protein coverage gaps. The team will employ Mendelian randomization to prioritize putatively causal proteins and validate top candidates via ELISA. Early analysis suggests thrombosis drives limb events while atherosclerosis-related inflammation underlies cardiac events. The work is performed in New York, New York, with a period of performance through May 31, 2030. The research is structured as a Project Grant, the standard assistance type for National Institutes of Health research awards.