Project Grant R21AR086409

Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Vanderbilt University Medical Center received a $409,063 project grant awarded May 15, 2026, from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846). The project, concluding March 31, 2028, aims to define the causal roles of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)–associated genes KLF5 and SOX9 in disease pathogenesis. Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 1–4% of the population with significant morbidity and comorbidities including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and depression; recent genome-wide association studies have identified KLF5 and SOX9 as genetic risk factors linked to hair follicle biology.

The research will employ mouse molecular genetics, lentiviral delivery systems, human keratinocyte bioassays, and RNA sequencing to test the hypothesis that synchronized upregulation of KLF5 and SOX9 in hair follicle keratinocytes drives structural changes that recruit immune cells and sustain disease pathogenesis. Successful completion will advance understanding of how coordinated gene expression modulates hair follicle biology and promotes inflammation, potentially establishing a new preclinical HS model to enable exploration of disease mechanisms, host-microbe interactions, and novel therapeutic targets for this poorly understood but highly impactful skin condition.