Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Brigham & Women's Hospital Inc. received a $1.24 million project grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) awarded March 1, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2033. The award funds research into non-coding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as therapeutic targets for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), a severe manifestation of peripheral artery disease affecting over 200 million people globally. The research will identify driver ncRNAs and their targets across early and advanced disease phases, characterize their expression patterns, functional mechanisms, and molecular interactomes, and develop novel therapeutic approaches to address microvascular abnormalities that impair blood perfusion to ischemic limbs.

The project leverages the institution's established ncRNA research platform and translational capabilities, including demonstrated success in local delivery of ncRNAs to regulate angiogenic response in experimental limb ischemia models without toxicity. The research aims to advance therapeutic options for CLTI patients, a population currently lacking effective long-term medical therapies and facing amputation as a leading outcome. The seven-year award period supports basic and translational research activities conducted at the Boston, Massachusetts facility of Brigham & Women's Hospital, a major academic medical center and subsidiary of Partners Healthcare System Incorporated.