Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan a $619,212 Project Grant effective July 6, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. The research focuses on whole blood transcriptomics analysis to advance amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and therapeutic drug discovery. The project addresses critical clinical gaps in ALS management, including diagnostic delays averaging over one year from symptom onset and lack of prognostic information for patients with this fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by a median survival of 2–4 years post-diagnosis.

The deliverables include development of a blood-based gene expression classifier capable of differentiating ALS subjects from healthy controls, identification of unique whole blood gene expression signatures reflective of ALS status and disease progression, and discovery of molecular ALS subtypes linked to disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic candidates. This research leverages robust analytical methodologies to overcome limitations of previous studies and utilizes whole blood samples as an easily accessible alternative to brain and spinal cord tissue, thereby providing a practical platform for ALS diagnosis improvement, disease subtype stratification, and identification of new therapeutic interventions.