Understanding how immune and skin cells work together to repair wounds in living animals
Official title: Understanding immune-epithelial interactions during wound repair in live mammals
Funded at Michigan State University · NIH-11416626 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant looks at how skin and immune cells cooperate to restore the skin barrier after injury, with the goal of better healing and preventing cancer progression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $476,364 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR083086-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416626 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with chronic or complicated wounds where skin healing is impaired or at risk of cancer progression, to inform future translational approaches.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without chronic wounds or skin healing issues may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
The project studies how Langerhans cells and other immune cells interact with skin cells during wound repair in live mammals. Researchers will explore cellular communication and behavior to understand how the epidermis regains its protective barrier. Findings could point to new treatments for acute and chronic wounds that reduce infection risk and future cancer development. The work involves animal models and aims to translate insights into therapies that help patients heal faster and more completely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to therapies that improve wound healing and reduce progression to cancer in people with chronic skin wounds.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown roles for skin immune cells in healing, but the specific LC-epithelial interactions during repair are not fully understood and could yield novel targets.
Where this research is happening
-
Michigan State University
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Sangbum — Michigan State University
- Study coordinator: Park, Sangbum
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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.