Boosting bone metabolism to speed fracture healing in diabetes

NAMPT regulation of fracture tissue metabolism during bone healing

NIH-funded research VA Loma Linda Healthcare System · NIH-11415402

Seeing if raising a molecule called NAMPT in broken bones helps people with obesity-related type 2 diabetes heal fractures faster.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA Loma Linda Healthcare System NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Loma Linda, United States)
Project IDNIH-11415402 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This work uses mice that have obesity and type 2 diabetes to model the slow bone healing many patients experience. Researchers will screen drugs that activate NAMPT in bone-forming cells and pick the most promising candidates. Those candidates will be applied directly to fracture sites in the diabetic mice to see if local boosting of NAMPT improves healing. Findings could point to treatments that target the metabolism of fracture tissue to help people with diabetes recover better from broken bones.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with obesity-related type 2 diabetes who have a recent bone fracture or delayed fracture healing would be the most relevant future candidates.

Not a fit: People without type 2 diabetes, children, or those with fractures caused by very different processes may not benefit from this specific metabolic approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that speed fracture healing and lower complication risks for people with obesity-related type 2 diabetes.

How similar studies have performed: Animal studies boosting NAD-related pathways have shown improved tissue repair, but directly applying NAMPT activators to fractures in diabetic models is a newer, less-tested approach.

Where this research is happening

Loma Linda, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.