UTS-1401: a potential medicine to reduce harm from radiation exposure
Official title: UTS-1401 as a Medical Countermeasure to H-ARS Consequent to a Radiation Mass Casualty
Funded at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences · NIH-11399149 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug candidate, UTS-1401, is being tested in animals to see if it can lessen blood-forming tissue damage after radiation exposure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $157,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI193885-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399149 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals at risk of or exposed to high-dose radiation where a mitigating agent could be beneficial in the future (e.g., first responders, mass casualty scenarios).
✕Less likely to help
This preclinical study in mice may not directly benefit patients until further human research is conducted.
What this research studies
This project tests whether a small molecule called UTS-1401 can lessen damage to hematopoietic stem cells after whole-body radiation in mice. Researchers will give various radiation doses around the LD50 and treat some groups with a single dose of UTS-1401 to see if it improves survival and blood cell recovery. The study uses established animal models to measure outcomes like survival and stem cell health, focusing on the mitigating effect rather than prevention. If successful, this could inform future work toward a drug that helps people survive and recover after radiation exposure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the treatment could improve survival and blood cell recovery after radiation exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work has shown radioprotective and mitigating effects in mice for related compounds, suggesting potential but still needing confirmation in this specific agent.
Where this research is happening
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Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Valeriote, Frederick Augustus — Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Valeriote, Frederick Augustus
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.