Arctic Ground Squirrels as a Model to Discover Treatments for Metabolic Diseases
Official title: Investigating The Mechanism of Arctic Ground Squirrel Hibernation and Adaptation to Extreme Environments for Finding Novel Chronic Disease Therapeutics
Funded at Monell Chemical Senses Center · NIH-11396043 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are creating a new animal model using Arctic ground squirrels to uncover natural metabolic tricks that could lead to therapies for human conditions like diabetes and muscle wasting.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Monell Chemical Senses Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $770,450 |
| NIH project number | 1DP2DK152025-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396043 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals with metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, obesity-related conditions) or those at risk of ischemic injury who may benefit from future therapies inspired by metabolic resilience.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or patients with conditions unrelated to metabolism may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This grant aims to make Arctic ground squirrels a reliable model for studying how metabolism adapts to extreme environments. By developing new tools and methods, the team hopes to reveal cellular and molecular processes behind metabolic resilience that could inform therapies for human metabolic diseases. The work focuses on evolutionary biology and biochemistry rather than creating disease in the lab, with the goal of translating natural adaptations into potential treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inspire novel approaches to treat metabolic diseases in people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in metabolic resilience and animal models has yielded insights, but applying Arctic adaptations to human therapies remains exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lal, Neeraj — Monell Chemical Senses Center
- Study coordinator: Lal, Neeraj
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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.