How muscles sense stretch
Official title: Molecular mediators of muscle spindle mechanosensation
Funded at San Jose State University · NIH-11291304 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at key proteins that let muscle sensors detect stretch to better understand movement and balance problems in conditions like aging, chemotherapy-related nerve damage, and certain genetic movement disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Jose State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Jose, United States) |
| Project start | March 18, 2024 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $146,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153600-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11291304 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with balance or movement problems due to aging, chemotherapy-related peripheral neuropathy, or inherited disorders that impair proprioception (for example distal arthrogryposis) are the kinds of patients who might benefit from follow-up studies or future therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking an immediate treatment or those with conditions unrelated to muscle proprioception are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-based mouse research.
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone affected by movement or balance problems, the team is using mouse models to study proteins that let muscle sensors (muscle spindle afferents) turn stretch into nerve signals. They focus on the PIEZO2 mechanosensor and other molecules like NaV1.1 and glutamate, and compare what happens when these proteins are altered during development versus only after the muscle spindle forms. The work measures how well the sensory nerves respond to stretch and how that changes movement-related signals. Results will help explain why proprioception fails in some conditions and point toward molecular targets for future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new molecular targets to improve proprioception, balance, and motor control in people with aging-related decline, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, or inherited proprioceptive disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown PIEZO2 is essential for normal stretch sensitivity and that mutations affect proprioception, but using timing of protein dysfunction during development versus after development to explain outcomes is a newer question.
Where this research is happening
-
San Jose State University
San Jose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilkinson, Katherine Anne — San Jose State University
- Study coordinator: Wilkinson, Katherine Anne
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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.