Stopping calcium buildup in leg arteries
Official title: Medial Arterial Calcification in Peripheral Artery Disease
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11295422 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at whether boosting CD73-driven adenosine signaling can reduce harmful calcium buildup in the leg arteries of adults with peripheral artery disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | March 5, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $747,526 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL176595-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295422 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with peripheral artery disease who have evidence of medial arterial calcification or are at high risk due to diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or hypertension.
✕Less likely to help
People without PAD or whose artery problems are solely due to atherosclerotic plaque (not medial calcification) are unlikely to benefit from this research directly.
What this research studies
If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), this research looks at why calcium builds up in the middle layer of leg arteries (medial arterial calcification or MAC) rather than in plaques. Researchers will study how loss of the enzyme CD73 and low adenosine levels change cell signals that turn on the mineral-making enzyme TNAP, using human samples and laboratory models. The team will test whether DNA-damage signals reduce CD73 and alter arginine-related pathways that promote calcification, and they will test blockers of key molecules like FOXO1 in lab systems. Findings will help link discoveries from a rare genetic disease (ACDC) to common forms of MAC in adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatments that stop or slow calcium buildup in leg arteries, lowering pain and amputation risk for people with PAD.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in the rare ACDC genetic disorder and lab experiments showed blocking FOXO1 reduced TNAP activity and calcification in cells, but treatments in patients have not yet been proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: St. Hilaire, Cynthia — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: St. Hilaire, Cynthia
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Low-dose colchicine for reducing vascular risk in people with PAD
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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.