Probing how desmosomes sense and transmit mechanical signals in tissues
Official title: Direct and Quantitative Probing of Desmosome Mechanotransduction
Funded at Michigan State University · NIH-11384476 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how desmosomes and related cell junctions help skin and heart tissues withstand forces and guide healing, with findings that could improve treatments for related diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $384,480 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM150623-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384476 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal when considering conditions involving skin or heart tissue health, wound healing, or diseases affecting cell junctions that may be informed by mechanotransduction.
✕Less likely to help
If your condition does not involve desmosome-related mechanics or tissue stiffness, direct benefit may be limited.
What this research studies
This project looks at how cell–cell junctions called desmosomes respond to mechanical stress in epithelial tissues. By studying the forces acting on desmosome components and how these signals influence cell behavior, the team aims to map how mechanical cues steer differentiation, movement, and wound healing. The work combines advanced cell biology and biophysics to reveal which desmosome parts act as mechanosensors and how they control chemical signaling in response to stretch or compression. Understanding these mechanisms could illuminate why tissue integrity fails in certain diseases and guide future therapies. The research is conducted at Michigan State University under the leadership of RUIGUO Yang.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of tissue mechanics could lead to new approaches to treat skin and heart diseases where desmosomes are involved.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown desmosome involvement in mechanics, but direct mechanotransduction roles and sensor components are still being clarified, making this a novel advance.
Where this research is happening
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Ruiguo — Michigan State University
- Study coordinator: Yang, Ruiguo
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.