How Toll receptors shape skin-like tissues and energy use
Official title: Control of epithelial morphology and bioenergetics by Toll receptors during dynamic tissue remodeling
Funded at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville · NIH-11382097 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores how Toll receptors help epithelial cells change shape and organize into proper tissue during development, using fruit-fly models and human-relevant biology.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fayetteville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $310,979 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM147372-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382097 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals or samples affected by epithelial remodeling issues or birth defects related to tissue architecture.
✕Less likely to help
People without epithelial remodeling issues may not directly benefit from this basic science study.
What this research studies
The project looks at how Toll receptors influence cell shape, adhesion, and energy use to drive epithelial remodeling. Researchers will engineer new genetic backgrounds with CRISPR/Cas9 and use antibodies to study Toll receptor effects on cell polarity and intercalation. They will also non-invasively measure bioenergetics in living embryos to see how energy dynamics accompany tissue rearrangement. Findings could reveal how epithelial tissues form correctly and what goes wrong in birth defects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve understanding of how epithelial tissues develop and potentially inform strategies to prevent or treat birth defects linked to tissue remodeling.
How similar studies have gone: Similar work in model organisms has shown Toll receptors can organize tissue remodeling, supporting the potential for meaningful insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pare, Adam Christopher — University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
- Study coordinator: Pare, Adam Christopher
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.