Autophagy and bone health in brittle bone disease
Official title: Role of Autophagy in skeletal diseases
Funded at Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-11363966 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in mice explores how boosting a cellular recycling process called autophagy can increase bone formation and strength in brittle bone disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $487,847 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG094715-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363966 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with brittle bone disease or age-related bone loss who could participate in future translational studies or trials stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without brittle bone disease or not eligible for future human studies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse model where autophagy is boosted by turning up the activity of the TFEB gene with CRISPR-based tools. It aims to understand how autophagy affects osteoblasts, the cells that build bone, and why aging and osteogenesis imperfecta may involve reduced autophagy. Researchers will analyze bone tissue with single-cell RNA sequencing to see which pathways link autophagy to bone formation and cell aging. The work could identify new targets to enhance bone density and strength in people with brittle bone conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could uncover new ways to strengthen bones in brittle bone disease by modulating autophagy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in animals show that boosting autophagy increases bone formation and strength, supporting potential translational impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Onal, Melda — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Onal, Melda
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.