# Metabolic regulation of macrophage-dependent wound healing in vivo

> **NIH NIH K99** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2022 · $100,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Macrophages underlie the progression of inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, autoimmune
diseases, chronic wounds and cancer. Metabolic rewiring of activated macrophages to alter their function has
become an attractive therapeutic strategy, however in vivo evidence is lacking to support its therapeutic potential.
The research proposed here will address the metabolic regulation of macrophage effector function in
physiologically relevant settings by fluorescence lifetime imaging of metabolic coenzymes NAD(P)H and FAD,
using zebrafish as an in vivo model of inflammation and wound healing. Importantly, this non-invasive imaging
modality measures intracellular metabolic state while maintaining macrophages in their native microenvironment,
unlike traditional approaches. This study will monitor changes in the metabolic profile of macrophages at various
wound models over time, and test the functional requirement of metabolic regulators, Irg1, Stat3 and
mitochondrial ROS, in macrophage-dependent wound healing. Metabolomics analysis will also be performed
using wounded tissue to gain further mechanistic insight into the metabolic reprogramming of macrophages in
vivo. Collectively, this study will develop imaging-based tools to probe in real time the temporal and spatial
metabolic regulation of immune cell functions in live animals that can inform development of new therapies to
mitigate macrophage-mediated inflammation.
The proposed study in this career development award application will be conducted under the primary
mentorship of Dr. Anna Huttenlocher and the co-mentorship of Dr. Melissa Skala during the K99 phase of the
award. The Huttenlocher lab at UW-Madison is an ideal environment for these studies due to the leading
expertise in leukocyte biology in inflammation and wound healing, as well as live imaging strategies in zebrafish
embryos. Dr. Skala is a leader in developing autofluorescence lifetime imaging of metabolic coenzymes and its
applications. I will benefit immensely from the mentorship of Drs. Huttenlocher and Skala, and will bridge the
expertise of both mentors toward elucidating the mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming of macrophages in
complex in vivo environments. I am committed to a career as an independent investigator at an academic
institution studying leukocyte biology; in particular, studying the metabolic regulation of leukocyte effector
functions in context of inflammatory disorders. In addition to the already excellent resources I am afforded by my
mentors, UW-Madison provides a wealth of other scientific and career development opportunities to support my
academic growth. Moreover, I am actively involved with the metabolic community at the Morgridge Institute for
Research, located on UW-Madison campus, to further enhance my training in immunometabolism. Taken
together, my mentors and UW-Madison provide an ideal environment to fully support my scientific pursuits and
ensure that I achieve my long ter...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10401932
- **Project number:** 5K99GM138699-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Veronika Miskolci
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $100,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-05 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10401932

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10401932, Metabolic regulation of macrophage-dependent wound healing in vivo (5K99GM138699-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10401932. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*