Electrical stimulation plus a drug to reduce muscle fat and wasting after a rotator cuff tear
Official title: Treatment of Rabbit Rotator Cuff Fatty Infiltration and Atrophy with Electric Stimulation and a PDGFRa inhibitor
Funded at Baltimore VA Medical Center · NIH-11306035 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work tests whether gentle electrical pulses together with a medicine that blocks PDGFRα can prevent fatty change and muscle wasting after a torn rotator cuff to help people with large shoulder tendon injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baltimore VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003489-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306035 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with large or chronic rotator cuff tears and significant muscle fatty infiltration would be the eventual candidates for related treatments informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
Because this research is being done in rabbits, people cannot join this project and will not receive direct treatment benefits during the study.
What this research studies
Researchers are using a rabbit model that mimics large, irreparable rotator cuff tears to try two treatments: a PDGFRα-blocking drug and direct, submaximal electrical stimulation of the muscle. They will give treatments either at the time of tendon tear or after fatty infiltration and atrophy have already developed to see if the changes can be prevented or reversed. Outcomes include muscle fatty infiltration, muscle size and function, tendon healing, and animal gait to approximate shoulder function. If the combination works in rabbits, the results would inform whether similar approaches might be tested in people with severe rotator cuff injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce muscle fatty degeneration and atrophy after rotator cuff tears and improve shoulder strength and repair success.
How similar studies have gone: Electrical stimulation and molecular targeting have shown benefit in preclinical muscle models, but combining PDGFRα inhibition with direct muscle stimulation is a novel approach not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
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Baltimore VA Medical Center
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gilotra, Mohit — Baltimore VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Gilotra, Mohit
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.