Federal Grant Award Summary

Albert Einstein College of Medicine received a $556,651 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846), effective March 4, 2026 through February 29, 2028. The research project will develop and validate a scalable imaging method to measure muscle bioenergetics in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Specifically, the awardee will utilize chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging technology to quantify phosphocreatine recovery and creatine pools in skeletal muscle as a non-invasive measure of mitochondrial oxidative capacity and ATP generation—a key indicator of muscle dysfunction and frailty in CKD patients.

The project leverages an ongoing R01-funded prospective cohort study with an established patient population that includes comprehensive clinical, functional, and biochemical phenotyping data. The research aims to identify deficits in skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics using CEST MRI, an innovative approach that overcomes the limitations of traditional 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy by utilizing existing standard MRI hardware and clinical consoles available at most medical centers. This deliverable addresses a critical clinical gap by providing a push-button diagnostic capability to assess oxidative capacity and predict future loss of physical performance in patients with severe, non-dialysis-dependent CKD.