Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc. received a $426,250 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113) on May 15, 2026, with completion scheduled for May 14, 2028. This research project investigates the nuclear receptor REV-ERBα (encoded by NR1D1) as a novel modulator of cadmium-induced chronic airway disease. The research addresses cadmium exposure—a toxic environmental pollutant derived from natural sources such as volcanoes and anthropogenic activities including metalworking and coal-fired power plants—which has been implicated in serious lung disorders in U.S. military personnel and occupational workers. The project will examine how disruption of circadian clock function, mediated by REV-ERBα, contributes to chronic lung disease pathogenesis through effects on antioxidant defense mechanisms, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition in cell type-specific lung compartments.

The research deliverables include mechanistic investigations and biological analyses examining REV-ERBα expression and function in cadmium-exposed lung tissue, with particular focus on alveolar type II cells and lung fibroblasts. The project builds upon preliminary data demonstrating that repeated cadmium exposure impairs lung function, enhances inflammation, and increases collagen deposition while reducing REV-ERBα expression. Findings from this investigation will contribute to the Environmental Health program's mission of understanding how environmental exposures affect biological systems across the lifespan and translating this knowledge into strategies to reduce disease burden and promote health.