Understanding how caspases affect muscle development and disorders
Official title: Caspase-mediated nuclear pore complex trimming in myogenesis and muscular dystrophies
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-10992642 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain enzymes, called caspases, affect muscle growth and breakdown, especially in people with muscular dystrophies, to better understand how they might help or hurt muscle development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $125,683 |
| NIH project number | 5K01AR080828-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10992642 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with benign X-linked recessive muscular dystrophy or other related muscular dystrophies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-muscular dystrophy-related conditions or those without muscle degeneration may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of caspases, a type of protease, in muscle formation and degeneration, particularly in conditions like muscular dystrophies. It aims to explore how these enzymes, typically associated with cell death, can also play a crucial role in muscle differentiation by trimming components of the nuclear pore complex. The study will identify proteins that accumulate in the nucleus during muscle development and examine their interactions with other proteins that regulate gene expression. Additionally, it will assess how caspase activity impacts muscle cells in dystrophic conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating muscular dystrophies and improving muscle regeneration.
How similar studies have gone: While the role of caspases in apoptosis is well-established, this research explores their novel non-apoptotic functions in muscle biology, making it a relatively untested area.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cho, Ukrae — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Cho, Ukrae
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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.