Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Maryland, College Park received a $156,000 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) on June 17, 2026, with completion anticipated by May 31, 2028. The award supports investigator-initiated biomedical research examining the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms underlying trigeminal nerve deficits in Familial Dysautonomia (FD). The research focuses on understanding how mutations in elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 1 (ELP1) disrupt normal development of trigeminal sensory nerves, which are critical for essential involuntary functions including swallowing and somatosensation. This research addresses a significant unmet clinical need, as FD remains a rare, hereditary, and ultimately fatal neuropathy for which no cure currently exists.

The project leverages mass spectrometry proteomics analysis and mechanotransduction studies to elucidate how defective extracellular matrix and altered biomechanical properties contribute to axon outgrowth deficiencies observed in FD mouse models. By identifying the molecular mechanisms linking ELP1 dysfunction to trigeminal nerve development impairment, this research aims to inform the development of therapeutic interventions for this rare disease and contribute to the broader understanding of developmental neurobiology in the context of genetic neuropathies.