How different muscle stem cells help people with peripheral artery disease get better after exercise
Official title: Heterogeneity of Satellite Cell Populations Play a Role in Improvements in PAD after Exercise Therapy
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11293410 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether different muscle 'satellite' stem cells help people with peripheral artery disease heal and feel better after supervised exercise therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $592,809 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL155549-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11293410 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with diagnosed peripheral artery disease who are participating in supervised exercise therapy and are willing to provide muscle or blood samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without PAD, those not undergoing or unable to participate in exercise therapy, or those unwilling to provide tissue samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) reduces blood flow to the legs and can cause pain, slow-healing wounds, and sometimes amputation; supervised exercise often improves symptoms but we do not fully understand why. The team will compare muscle tissue from patients who do and do not improve with exercise to identify which satellite cell types and proteins are linked to blood vessel growth and recovery. In mice, they will selectively remove satellite cells before exercise to test whether those cells are required for improvement. They will also apply single-cell sequencing to map satellite cell subtypes and the signals they produce that might promote healing and better blood flow.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments or tailored exercise programs that boost blood flow, reduce pain, and lower the risk of wounds and amputations for people with PAD.
How similar studies have gone: Early human tissue analyses and animal experiments suggest satellite cells support vascular growth after exercise, but using single-cell sequencing and selective cell removal to prove causality is a newer and not yet proven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hansen, Laura Marie — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Hansen, Laura Marie
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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.