How mitochondria guide bone and fingertip regrowth after injury
Official title: Mitochondrial function regulates ROS-mediated patterning following injury
Funded at Mainehealth · NIH-11295429 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether two mitochondrial proteins, BNIP3 and NIX, help guide bone and soft-tissue regrowth after fingertip or limb injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mainehealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $562,524 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD112474-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295429 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Although this project is preclinical in mice, patients with fingertip or limb amputations or localized bone loss from injury would be the kinds of people who could benefit and might be candidates for future clinical work.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatments, those without limb or bone injuries, or patients with unrelated chronic systemic conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory research.
What this research studies
Researchers use a mouse fingertip amputation model, special genetically engineered mice, and spatial gene-mapping to see where mitochondrial signals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) act during healing. They focus on two mitochondrial regulators, BNIP3 and NIX, to understand how ROS-driven signals from the wound epithelium might direct blastema formation and bone regeneration. The work maps where these proteins act and how they influence cell differentiation and tissue patterning as the limb tissue regrows. This is preclinical lab research that could point to biological targets for future therapies to improve human bone and soft-tissue repair.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify new molecular targets to encourage bone and fingertip regrowth after amputation or traumatic injury.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal work shows ROS signaling helps regeneration, but the specific role of the BNIP3/NIX mitochondrial pathway in mammalian digit regeneration is largely novel and unproven in humans.
Where this research is happening
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Mainehealth
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guntur, Anyonya R — Mainehealth
- Study coordinator: Guntur, Anyonya R
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.