Genes guiding skull and face bone growth
Official title: Genetic Regulatory Network in Craniofacial Development
Funded at Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. · NIH-11301842 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project learns how genes and special stem cells control skull and facial bone growth to help people with skull-shape problems like craniosynostosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ada Forsyth Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Somerville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 12, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $762,445 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE015654-18 |
| Project ID | NIH-11301842 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with craniosynostosis or other congenital skull-shape problems, and those interested in future bone-repair therapies, would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without craniofacial bone conditions or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this primarily lab- and animal-based research.
What this research studies
Researchers will map the gene and cell signals that tell sutures in the skull when to grow or close, combining human genetic information with lab-grown cells and animal models. They focus on suture stem cells (SuSCs) and key receptors such as BMPR1A, sometimes turning these genes off in models to see how sutures and bone formation are affected. The team will test whether implanted SuSCs can survive and directly repair injured skull bone in experimental systems. The goal is to pinpoint pathways that cause premature suture closure and identify targets that could lead to new therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to ways to prevent or repair premature skull suture closure and improve treatments for craniosynostosis and related bone injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work from this group showed suture stem cells can engraft and promote bone healing in experimental models, but moving those findings into human treatments remains early.
Where this research is happening
-
Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
Somerville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hsu, Wei — Ada Forsyth Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Hsu, Wei
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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.