Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Virginia received a $444,125 Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective July 15, 2026, with a completion date of April 30, 2031. The award funds fundamental research investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and function of multinucleated cell types across diverse physiological systems, including foreign body giant cells, syncytiotrophoblasts, myofibers, and osteoclasts. The research will employ induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) modeling, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and advanced imaging approaches to characterize the role of the syncytin 1 fusogen protein in cell-cell fusion processes and to delineate how multinucleation contributes to biological function in immunity, placental, muscle, and bone tissues.

This basic biomedical research project addresses fundamental gaps in understanding cell fusion mechanisms and multinuclear cell biology, generating knowledge that may inform future advances in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and disease pathophysiology. The work is performed at the University of Virginia's primary research facility in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the institution maintains extensive infrastructure and expertise in biomedical research across multiple NIH-funded initiatives.