Understand how skeletal muscle nuclei specialize and arrange themselves for proper muscle function
Official title: Mechanisms Driving Skeletal Muscle Nuclear Heterogeneity, Position, and Patterning
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11628889 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to uncover how the hundreds of nuclei in skeletal muscle fibers acquire different roles and positions to keep muscles strong and healthy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $576,875 |
| NIH project number | 2R56AR068128-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11628889 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with muscular dystrophy, aging-related muscle weakness, or neuromuscular conditions linked to muscle fiber nuclei may benefit from advances in this research.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without neuromuscular diseases may have indirect, long-term benefits through improved understanding of muscle biology.
What this research studies
Skeletal muscles are made of large syncytial fibers with many nuclei that specialize by location. This project explores how nuclei at the NMJ, MTJ, and body regions take on unique tasks and how their arrangement affects muscle function. The research builds on prior findings in fruit flies and human-relevant pathways like BMP and MuSK to understand signals that shape nuclear identity within contracting muscle. By mapping spatial patterns and signaling requirements, the study aims to reveal why mispositioned or misidentified nuclei occur in muscular diseases and aging. The outcomes could point to new ways to preserve muscle health and combat conditions such as muscular dystrophies and age-related weakness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Insights into nuclear specialization could lead to targeted therapies to maintain muscle strength and slow progression of muscular diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in model organisms supports conserved mechanisms of myonuclear identity, suggesting this approach may be fruitful in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baylies, Mary K — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Baylies, Mary K
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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.