How cells direct protein traffic during new blood vessel growth
Official title: Polarized Protein Trafficking and Angiogenesis
Funded at University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) · NIH-11248358 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how a protein called sytl2 helps cells build the inner surface of new blood vessels, which could matter for people with blood vessel problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denver, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $360,584 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL155921-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11248358 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant is lab-based and does not recruit patients, though people with blood vessel disorders (for example peripheral artery disease or diabetic microvascular disease) would be the kinds of patients who might benefit from future clinical work based on these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatment for a vascular condition should not expect direct benefit from this basic lab research.
What this research studies
Scientists will watch blood vessel formation in living zebrafish embryos to see where sytl2 works during the creation of the hollow tube that carries blood. They will use CRISPR to make zebrafish with altered sytl2 and perform live imaging to observe the effects on vessel shape. In lab-grown cells, researchers will test how sytl2 teams up with a transport protein called Rab35 to deliver podocalyxin to the cell surface needed for lumen formation. These combined animal and cell experiments aim to show the step-by-step mechanism cells use to build the vessel interior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify molecular steps to target for therapies that repair or improve blood vessels in conditions like ischemia, diabetic vascular damage, or abnormal tumor blood supply.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and cell studies have clarified parts of vessel formation using similar methods, but turning those basic findings into patient treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
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University of Denver (Colorado Seminary)
Denver, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kushner, Erich J — University of Denver (Colorado Seminary)
- Study coordinator: Kushner, Erich J
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.