Exploring how children's muscles heal and grow after injury
Official title: Understanding regulation of pediatric regenerative myogenesis and its implication for muscle disease
Funded at Children's Research Institute · NIH-11131694 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how kids' muscles heal after an injury and what makes their healing better than in older people, with the goal of finding new ways to help children with muscle diseases recover faster.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $692,292 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS136349-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11131694 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children and adolescents with muscle diseases, particularly those who experience muscle degeneration.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are adults or those with non-muscle related conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how pediatric muscles regenerate after injury, focusing on the role of the surrounding muscle environment, known as the muscle niche. It aims to understand the factors that enhance muscle healing in children compared to older individuals, who experience a decline in regenerative capacity. By examining the interactions between immune and stromal factors in the muscle niche, the research seeks to identify therapeutic targets that could improve muscle regeneration in children with degenerative muscle diseases. The study will utilize a combination of laboratory techniques to explore these interactions and their implications for treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapies that enhance muscle regeneration in children, potentially improving outcomes for those with muscle diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding muscle regeneration, but this specific focus on pediatric muscle regeneration is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Research Institute
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Novak, James Stephen — Children's Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Novak, James Stephen
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.