Targeting FAK-NEDD9 to slow PAH-related vessel remodeling
Official title: Targeting FAK-NEDD9 protein-protein interaction to prevent focal adhesion assembly and vascular proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11324945 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach aims to block a key protein interaction in the lungs to slow blood vessel remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $560,096 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL139613-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324945 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be PAH patients or at-risk individuals whose disease involves pulmonary vascular remodeling and fibrosis, once translational steps enable clinical testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without PAH or those whose disease does not involve abnormal endothelial proliferation or ECM remodeling may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on pulmonary arterial hypertension, a serious lung blood vessel disease, and targets how endothelial cells multiply and form scar-like tissue in the lungs. Researchers will explore blocking a specific protein interaction (FAK-NEDD9) that drives focal adhesions and abnormal vessel growth, with an eye toward developing tissue-selective therapies. The study combines biological experiments to understand how this interaction promotes disease and tests strategies to prevent it from causing harm in patients with PAH. If successful, the work could lead to safer treatments that limit lung vessel remodeling without broad off-target effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with PAH could have new therapies that reduce harmful vessel remodeling and slow disease progression.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work suggests targeting focal adhesion pathways can modulate vascular remodeling, though a targeted FAK-NEDD9 approach is novel in PAH.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maron, Bradley — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Maron, Bradley
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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.