Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Old Dominion University received a $458,144 Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director under the Trans-NIH Research Support program (CFDA 93.310), awarded June 23, 2026, with completion targeted for June 22, 2028. The award funds research investigating 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) signaling as a potential therapeutic intervention against nitrogen mustard-induced lung injury. Nitrogen mustard is a potent vesicant chemical threat agent that causes acute lung injury and can progress to chronic conditions including fibrosis, emphysema, and bronchiolitis obliterans; currently no effective medical countermeasures exist. The project aims to determine whether monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibition can augment endocannabinoid signaling to protect against chemical threat agent-induced lung damage through two primary research objectives: assessing the efficacy of MAGL inhibition in protecting against acute lung injury, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress; and delineating the protective mechanisms of MAGL inhibition in this injury model.

The research deliverables encompass preclinical scientific findings, experimental validation data, and mechanistic insights that will be documented through peer-reviewed publications and technical reports. Preliminary pilot studies demonstrated that JZL184, a potent MAGL inhibitor, significantly reduced nitrogen mustard-induced acute lung injury and immune cell infiltration in mouse models, providing the scientific foundation for this extended investigation. Research will be conducted at the awardee's location in Norfolk, Virginia, with work performed by Old Dominion University Research Foundation serving as the fiscal and administrative agent for the sponsored research.