Fibrin networks: how blood clot structure affects healing, cancer, pregnancy, and inflammation
Official title: MIRA R35: Fibrin(ogen) in regulating health and disease
Funded at Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. · NIH-11345704 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded project will explore how the structure of fibrin, a key blood clot protein, changes with the surrounding environment and how that impacts healing, cancer progression, pregnancy, and inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Piscataway, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $388,225 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155242-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345704 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers, coagulation disorders, wound healing issues, or pregnancy-related conditions may benefit from advances in understanding clot biology and potential diagnostic tools.
✕Less likely to help
The research is basic science; direct benefits may be limited to future diagnostic or therapeutic advances and are not guaranteed for every participant.
What this research studies
This project will use engineering and biophysical methods to link the microenvironment around fibrin to its network structure and how stiff or fragile the clot becomes. It will measure how fibrin networks behave under stress and how this behavior changes when placed with collagen, which helps us understand wound healing and tissue stability. The team will also study how drugs and medications influence the breakdown and stability of fibrin networks. The long-term aim is to connect these fundamental insights to better diagnoses and treatments for conditions where clots and fibrin play a role.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve diagnostics and therapies for cancer, wound healing, pregnancy-related complications, and inflammatory diseases by revealing how clot structure affects disease and healing.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that fibrin structure influences mechanical properties and healing, with this project extending those concepts to interactions with collagen and medications.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
Piscataway, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tutwiler, Valerie — Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
- Study coordinator: Tutwiler, Valerie
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.