Enhancing muscle energy to help leg function in PAD
Official title: Enhancing OxPhos efficiency to promote muscle function and regeneration in peripheral artery disease
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11427216 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to boost how muscle mitochondria work in people with peripheral artery disease to improve walking and leg function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $688,383 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL187555-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427216 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with peripheral artery disease experiencing difficulty with walking or leg function.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose PAD is not impacting leg function or who cannot participate in genetic or animal model studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to improve leg muscle energy use in people with PAD by studying a mitochondrial protein called FAM210A in mouse models and exploring how increasing or decreasing its levels affects energy production and leg performance. Researchers will use genetic tools to turn FAM210A up or down in muscle and measure changes in mitochondrial efficiency and how much the leg can work. Biochemical and molecular analyses will help explain how FAM210A influences the electrons flow in mitochondria and how this relates to oxygen and nutrient use in the ischemic limb. The goal is to translate these findings toward therapies that enhance muscle energy and walking ability for PAD patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies that improve leg energy use and walking capacity for people with PAD.
How similar studies have gone: Similar approaches have shown that modifying mitochondrial function can influence muscle performance in disease models, but direct application to PAD remains to be proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ryan, Terence E — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Ryan, Terence E
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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.