# Immune regulation of tendon healing

> **NIH NIH R56** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $513,905

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Tendon injury is a common problem characterized by slow recovery and high recurrence. Improving tendon
healing to a regenerative state is therefore a crucial research priority, however the basic biological
mechanisms remain unknown. Our overall objective is therefore to identify the cellular and molecular events
that distinguish tenogenic regeneration vs fibrosis to improve adult tendon healing.
 One key feature in all wound healing is the immune environment. Injury initially induces an inflammatory
type 1 response, followed by transition to an anti-inflammatory type 2 response. Imbalanced type 1 or type 2
responses are often associated with fibrotic healing or degeneration. To date, adaptive immune cells have
rarely been investigated, even though T cell subpopulations regulate type 1 and type 2 immune responses,
macrophage polarization, and in some cases can directly active tissue-resident stem cells. Due to this gap in
research, the mechanisms by which specific immune cell populations create permissive environments for
regeneration vs fibrosis are not known, especially for normally non-regenerative tissues such as tendon.
 We recently established novel models of functional tendon regeneration (neonatal mouse) and fibrosis
(adult mouse), and identified cellular mechanisms that distinguish regeneration from fibrosis. We now propose
that neonatal immune cells and the immune environment are crucial for tendon regeneration. To test this
hypothesis, we will characterize the immune landscape during healing, determine the requirement of specific T
cells in healing using loss and gain of function experiments, and determine the role of IL33 signaling in adult
tendon healing. Successful completion will establish the immune response underlying tendon healing and
identify a new and exciting role for T cells and IL33 signaling in tendon regeneration and fibrosis, respectively.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10242326
- **Project number:** 1R56AR076984-01
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Alice H Huang
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $513,905
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-02 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10242326

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10242326, Immune regulation of tendon healing (1R56AR076984-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10242326. Licensed CC0.

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