Project Grant R35GM165955

This Project Grant, awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), supports fundamental research into the epigenetic control of tissue regeneration across multiple species and developmental stages. The research project, funded at $435,875 and performed by Vanderbilt University's Sponsored Programs Administration in Nashville, Tennessee, will generate scientific knowledge regarding how gene activity is regulated during tissue regeneration in organisms such as planarians, teleost fish, and salamanders. The project specifically investigates how enhancers—genomic elements that control gene expression—respond to injury to drive pro-regenerative gene activity and how these regulatory mechanisms vary across species and life stages. The research will employ genomic analysis tools coupled with enhancer perturbation experiments and genetic approaches to advance understanding of regeneration mechanisms, with particular emphasis on reactive oxygen species production and clearance during tissue repair.

The four-year project period, extending from July 1, 2026 through April 30, 2031, is designed to fill critical knowledge gaps in regenerative biology that have potential long-term applications for treating human tissue injuries and diseases. This basic research initiative aligns with NIGMS's mission to support investigator-initiated biomedical research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. By comparing regenerative capacity across evolutionarily diverse species and examining how regenerative potential changes across developmental stages, the research aims to provide insights that could eventually inform therapeutic approaches to enhance regenerative medicine in humans, particularly given that approximately one in three Americans could benefit from regenerative medicine treatments.