Understanding Spp1+ Macrophages and Muscle Healing in Peripheral Artery Disease
Official title: Determining the Role of Spp1+ Macrophages in Muscle Regeneration in Peripheral Arterial Disease
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11401127 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports a physician-scientist in Duke's vascular surgery program to study how a specific macrophage type called Spp1+ macrophages affect muscle healing in people with peripheral artery disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $153,144 |
| NIH project number | 5K08HL171949-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401127 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include adults with peripheral arterial disease who have muscle injury or impaired muscle regeneration and are willing to participate in cellular or molecular studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without PAD or those not involved in muscle injury or regeneration studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
A surgeon-scientist will pursue three years of training and research to uncover how Spp1+ macrophages influence muscle repair in PAD. The project combines lab studies on immune and muscle cells with clinical insights from PAD patients to understand why some muscles don’t heal well after injury. The goal is to identify mechanisms that prevent proper muscle regeneration and to explore new cellular therapy approaches to preserve limb function. This program blends advanced coursework with hands-on experiments to build independence as a surgeon-scientist. The outcomes could guide future treatments to improve muscle recovery and reduce limb loss in PAD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new cellular therapies that improve muscle regeneration and reduce the risk of limb loss in PAD patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work has linked Spp1+ macrophages to poor muscle regeneration in PAD, suggesting potential for impactful findings but still requires validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Southerland, Kevin William — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Southerland, Kevin William
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.