Project Grant R44AG047684

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded a $295,294 Phase I SBIR project grant (CFDA 93.846) to Gigamune, Inc. to develop a novel lentiviral gene delivery platform for in vivo delivery of the full-length dystrophin gene to muscle cells. The goal is to create an efficient and targeted approach for gene therapy to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a severe genetic disorder causing muscle wasting. The project aims to leverage Gigamune's...

This K23 career development award from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 – Aging Research) provides $162,020 in funding to Dr. Nami Safai Haeri at the University of Pittsburgh to investigate the impact of osteoporosis medications on muscle health in older adults. The research addresses osteosarcopenia, a geriatric musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by the concurrent presence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia, which places vulnerable populations at elevated risk for fractures and...

The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research received a $536,800 Project Grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846). The grant will fund a 3-year exploratory clinical trial to investigate the potential of the drug tadalafil, combined with structured exercise training, to improve muscle pathophysiology and function in individuals with Duchenne...

Federal Grant Award Summary Ridgeline Therapeutics LLC received a $2.68 million Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) for the period of September 22, 2025, through June 30, 2027. The award funds preclinical validation research for RT-002, a novel small molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), designed as an adjunctive treatment to prevent muscle loss and enhance weight loss in older adults. The research addresses...

This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), under the Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.846), aims to investigate the functional roles of microRNA-320 (miR-320) in skeletal muscle. The $374,204 award to The Leland Stanford Junior University will fully characterize a muscle-specific miR-320 knockout mouse model, examine the underlying mechanisms of the observed muscle wasting...

This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging's Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) provides $2,181,250 in funding to the Seattle Institute For Biomedical And Clinical Research to develop small molecule inhibitors of the MSUT2 protein as a potential therapeutic approach for treating tauopathy disorders such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, and related conditions. The project aims to optimize potent and brain-penetrant MSUT2 inhibitors and demonstrate...

Federal Grant Award Summary Panorama Research Incorporated received a $354,000 Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) awarded on September 20, 2025, with a completion date of September 19, 2026. The award supports the development of novel therapeutic candidates based on Isthmin 1 (ISM1), an adipokine designed to address sarcopenia—the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and quality—while preserving muscle function in...

This $485,375 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 - Aging Research) will support the development and evaluation of a 3D engineered muscle tissue model to study the metabolic response to muscle contraction in the context of aging. The University of Washington, a prominent research institution, will lead this 2-year project to: 1) examine the mitochondrial mechanisms underlying the decreased metabolic response to muscle contraction in aged human 3D engineered...

Novelmed Therapeutics, Inc. was awarded a $900,000 Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging to develop a selective inhibitor of the alternative pathway of complement as a treatment for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder. Under the grant, Novelmed will conduct preclinical studies to evaluate its lead drug candidate NM5072, including in vitro and ex vivo assays to confirm the drug's mechanism of action and selective inhibition of the alternative...

Summary The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is conducting fundamental biomedical research on skeletal muscle aging and rejuvenation under a $141,890 Project Grant (R01) awarded by the National Institute on Aging through its Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866). The project, spanning from June 1, 2025 through July 31, 2030, investigates the role of the MYC transcription factor in mediating muscle functional, metabolic, cellular, and molecular plasticity across the lifespan. Researchers...