Molecular control of blood pressure by progranulin in blood vessel cells
Official title: Molecular mechanisms of progranulin as a regulator of endothelial biology and blood pressure control
Funded at University of South Alabama · NIH-11321252 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand how progranulin helps blood vessels stay healthy and keep blood pressure normal, with insights that could lead to new treatments for hypertension.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Alabama NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mobile, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $463,961 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL169202-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321252 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with high blood pressure or cardiovascular risk factors, or individuals with endothelial dysfunction may benefit from future translational advances.
✕Less likely to help
People without hypertension or endothelial dysfunction may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how a protein called progranulin affects endothelial cells that line our blood vessels and how this impacts blood pressure. The researchers will investigate how ACE and AMPK pathways interact with progranulin to regulate vascular function, using models that mimic human cardiovascular biology. By exploring how endothelial progranulin deficiency leads to hypertension, they hope to uncover new targets to restore vessel health and control blood pressure. The work builds on prior findings that restoring progranulin can improve vascular function and blood pressure in animal studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new strategies to prevent or treat hypertension by boosting progranulin pathways in blood vessels.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies showed that boosting progranulin can improve vascular function and reduce hypertension in models, supporting this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Alabama
Mobile, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bruder, Thiago — University of South Alabama
- Study coordinator: Bruder, Thiago
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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.