Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awarded $440,275 on July 9, 2026, through its Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121) to support a two-year research project investigating sex-based differences in radiation-induced oral mucositis (OM) pathophysiology. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, administering through its Sponsored Projects Services division, serves as the fiscal agent for research to be performed in Buffalo, New York, with an ultimate completion date of July 8, 2028. The project will deliver a sex-specific molecular and cellular atlas of oral mucositis through integrated genomic and immunological analysis, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, multimodal spectral flow cytometry, and multiplex immunofluorescence to characterize transcriptional programs, immune infiltration, and extracellular matrix remodeling in irradiated oral tissue.

This high-risk, high-reward research addresses a significant clinical gap: oral mucositis affects over 80% of head and neck cancer radiotherapy patients and lacks effective targeted therapies, with evidence indicating females experience greater ulceration, heightened pain, and slower recovery than males. The project's deliverables will establish sex as a mechanistic determinant of oral mucositis pathogenesis, identify novel therapeutic targets, and generate a framework for sex-specific precision-based interventions to advance supportive oncology care and improve patient outcomes.