Understanding how cell communication affects early embryo development
Official title: Extracellular regulation of Xenopus development
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11050729 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how cells talk to each other in early embryos to understand how they decide what to become and how they move, using frog embryos to see how certain proteins help guide these important changes during development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $527,909 |
| NIH project number | 2R01HD092990-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11050729 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals interested in developmental biology, particularly those affected by birth defects or cancers related to cell signaling pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to developmental processes or cell signaling may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how cell-to-cell communication in early embryos influences cell fate and movement during development. By using the Xenopus model, the study will explore the roles of specific proteins and signaling pathways that regulate collective cell behaviors, particularly focusing on the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. The researchers will employ advanced techniques such as live imaging and proteomics to analyze how these processes occur in real-time and how they contribute to critical morphogenetic events like neural tube closure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new insights into developmental processes that may help prevent birth defects and improve understanding of cancer progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in understanding cell signaling pathways in development, making this approach promising but still exploratory in the context of Xenopus.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sokol, Sergei — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Sokol, Sergei
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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.