Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $264,750 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. This award supports research aimed at identifying pathogenic somatic mutations in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a devastating vascular disease affecting up to 1 in 20,000 people. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding PAH pathogenesis by investigating whether acquired somatic mutations in disease-causing pathways contribute to disease development, building upon preliminary evidence that DNA repair programs are altered in pulmonary vascular cells of PAH patients.

The deliverables under this grant include scientific analysis and characterization of somatic mutations through two primary approaches: (1) analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulating in the blood of PAH patients and controls, evaluating genes implicated in PAH pathogenesis; and (2) simultaneous collection and analysis of genomic DNA from circulating leukocytes to distinguish somatic mutations from germline mutations. These analytical products and the resulting data will advance understanding of the "multiple hits" hypothesis of PAH development and may identify novel therapeutic targets for this currently incurable disease.