Bidirectional signaling by FGFs in developmental biology
Official title: Bidirectional signaling by FGF proteins
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11368564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how fibroblast growth factor proteins may signal both outside and inside cells, using a fruit-fly model to understand how this could affect development and cell behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $523,943 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL180704-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11368564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient population in this grant; basic developmental biology work.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefits are not the immediate focus of this basic science grant.
What this research studies
This project explores a nontraditional way FGFs may communicate, by looking at a Drosophila protein called Pyr that could send signals from inside the cell back to the outside environment. By using the early embryo and heart development as a model, the team will examine how Pyr's extracellular domain activates FGFRs and how its intracellular fragment might influence cellular pathways. The work combines biochemical methods, cell biology, and developmental biology to map these bidirectional signals, focusing on how they influence cell adhesion, migration, and gene expression. Findings could reveal new layers of FGFR signaling that might be relevant to human development and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A deeper understanding of FGF signaling could inform therapies for conditions where cell communication and migration go awry, potentially guiding future treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Bidirectional signaling concepts exist in other pathways, but bidirectional FGF/FGFR signaling is not well-documented and represents a novel area of study.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stathopoulos, Angelike — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Stathopoulos, Angelike
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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.