Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Loma Linda University received a $251,687 Project Grant award on February 15, 2026, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853). The award funds research investigating ferroptosis—an iron-dependent cell death pathway—as a potential convergence mechanism driving neurodegeneration in Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC), a fatal pediatric neurodegenerative disorder affecting fewer than 200,000 individuals globally. The research project, scheduled for completion by January 31, 2028, will characterize ferroptotic activation patterns along the anterior-to-posterior axis of cerebellar neurodegeneration in NPC and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of two anti-ferroptotic compounds (J147 and CMS121) in reducing disease pathology.

This investigator-initiated research project advances NINDS's mission to reduce the burden of neurological disease by addressing a critical gap in understanding how diverse NPC cellular pathologies—including endo-lysosomal enlargement, mitochondrial damage, iron dysregulation, and chronic inflammation—converge to drive disease progression. The deliverables include mechanistic characterization of ferroptosis in NPC models and preclinical evaluation of anti-ferroptotic therapeutics, with potential applications toward developing disease-modifying treatments for this currently incurable condition with no approved therapies in the United States.