Rejuvenating B cells to help older people heal broken bones
Official title: Rejuvenation of B cells to improve aged fracture healing
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11436913 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to boost aged B cells to improve how bone heals after fractures in older patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $444,125 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG104417-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11436913 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults with fractures or individuals at risk of delayed healing who could benefit from B cell–targeted therapies in future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without age-related healing impairment or those unlikely to receive B cell–targeted treatment may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how aging affects fracture healing and tests whether rejuvenating B cells in the healing site can improve recovery. Researchers will study the B cell secretions in fracture tissue and how aging changes them, using single-cell sequencing and flow cytometry. They show that aging lowers a key B cell receptor and that treating B cells can restore beneficial signals and enhance healing in aged mice, with plans to translate concepts to people. The goal is to identify a B cell–based approach that could help older adults heal faster after fractures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that improve fracture healing in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Similar B cell–related approaches have shown potential in preclinical models, but human translation is still in progress.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baht, Gurpreet — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Baht, Gurpreet
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Adenosine-based help to speed up bone fracture healing in older adults
A biomaterial-based approach delivers adenosine locally to fractures to speed healing in aging bones.
-
Role of Schwann Cell Precursors in Fracture Healing
This NIH grant explores how a specific nerve-support cell type called Schwann cell precursors may influence bone healing and pain after fractures, using mouse models to map how these cells behave during healing.
-
Longitudinal imaging to predict bone fracture healing using light-based tech
Aims to use safe light-based imaging over time to see how healing bones in people with fractures progress and whether early signals predict problems.
-
Intermittent Fasting to Boost Fracture Healing in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
A study tests whether intermittent fasting can improve bone healing in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes by changing the gut microbiome.
-
Next-Generation MRI to Predict Bone Healing Using Virtual Testing
A new MRI-based method uses advanced imaging and computer models to predict how well broken bones are healing, starting with shinbone (tibial) fractures.
-
Urine cadmium and bone health in older adults
This project looks at whether long-term cadmium exposure, measured in urine, is linked to bone loss and fractures in older adults.
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.