Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of California, San Francisco received a $451,000 Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health Office of the Director under the Research Infrastructure Programs (CFDA 93.351) awarded July 1, 2026, with completion scheduled for June 30, 2028. The grant funds development of a novel chemical-genetic animal model for precise, programmable modulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling across multiple tissues and organs. This R21 exploratory research project will create a conditional, tissue-specific system utilizing a rapamycin analog that selectively inhibits mTOR only when bound to a mutant FKBP12 protein, enabling controlled pharmacological mTOR activity in targeted tissues without systemic side effects associated with conventional rapamycin treatment.

The funded research delivers two primary products: (1) validation of the chemical-genetic model through development and characterization of conditional mutant FKBP12 expression in animal tissues, and (2) comprehensive phenotypic assessment of cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects of skeletal muscle-specific mTOR modulation across multiple organ systems through histological, molecular, and physiological evaluations. By identifying key mediators and mechanisms through which muscle-specific mTOR inhibition impacts other tissues, this research model will provide a fundamental tool for investigating mTOR's role in diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.