How skin fat cells turn into scar-making cells
Official title: Defining the role of mechanoresponsive adipocyte-to-fibroblast transition in wound fibrosis.
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11296877 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how fat cells in skin change into scar-forming cells during wound healing to help people with scarring.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $325,107 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR081343-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296877 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is preclinical and does not enroll patients now, but adults with new or problematic skin wounds or scars could be candidates for future related trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without skin wounds or those with non-skin fibrotic diseases are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will use genetic labeling and specialized mouse models to follow individual skin fat cells and see if they become fibroblasts that produce scar tissue. They will examine wounds using tissue stains, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to define the molecular features of those lineage-derived cells. The team will perform single-cell molecular analyses and clonal tracing to map which cells expand and how they behave. They will also change the mechanical properties of wound tissue to test whether stiffness drives the fat-to-fibroblast conversion.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or reduce scarring and improve healing and function after skin injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have reported fat-to-fibroblast transitions in wounds, but using that knowledge to prevent scarring remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Longaker, Michael T — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Longaker, Michael T
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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.