Adenosine-based help to speed up bone fracture healing in older adults
Official title: Localization of adenosine to promote fracture healing
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11591716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A biomaterial-based approach delivers adenosine locally to fractures to speed healing in aging bones.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 9, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,321 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AG074491-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11591716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with bone fractures or age-related fragility fractures who require fracture healing support.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with fractures that heal well on their own or where adenosine delivery is not compatible may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a local delivery method for adenosine to fracture sites in older patients, aiming to boost bone-forming cells and new blood vessels. Researchers will optimize a minimally invasive system to release adenosine where healing needs it most. They will study how this approach works in aging bone tissue and its effects on immune cells involved in repair. If successful, the work could lead to faster recovery and better healing outcomes for people with broken bones as they age.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach works, patients could experience faster fracture healing and improved recovery, reducing disability and healthcare costs.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies suggest adenosine can influence bone healing, but this specific delivery strategy in aging bone is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Varghese, Shyni — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Varghese, Shyni
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Role of Schwann Cell Precursors in Fracture Healing
This NIH grant explores how a specific nerve-support cell type called Schwann cell precursors may influence bone healing and pain after fractures, using mouse models to map how these cells behave during healing.
-
Longitudinal imaging to predict bone fracture healing using light-based tech
Aims to use safe light-based imaging over time to see how healing bones in people with fractures progress and whether early signals predict problems.
-
Rejuvenating B cells to help older people heal broken bones
Aims to boost aged B cells to improve how bone heals after fractures in older patients.
-
Intermittent Fasting to Boost Fracture Healing in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
A study tests whether intermittent fasting can improve bone healing in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes by changing the gut microbiome.
-
Next-Generation MRI to Predict Bone Healing Using Virtual Testing
A new MRI-based method uses advanced imaging and computer models to predict how well broken bones are healing, starting with shinbone (tibial) fractures.
-
Urine cadmium and bone health in older adults
This project looks at whether long-term cadmium exposure, measured in urine, is linked to bone loss and fractures in older adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.