# Signaling in the Microvasculature During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA · 2022 · $33,756

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Studies into regeneration of damaged skeletal muscle via the resident stem cell population (satellite cells) in
the past 30 years have provided a wealth of knowledge regarding transcriptional, epigenetic, and signaling
influences on this process. However, given that muscle tissue is made up of multiple cell types that are
essential to its function, surprisingly little is currently known about regeneration of the vascular network that
exists physically alongside muscle fibers and is necessary for their physiological function, or of signaling
interactions between regenerating myofibers and their microvasculature. To address this gap in knowledge, the
Cornelison lab (with expertise in muscle regeneration and molecular signaling) and the Segal lab (with
expertise in vascular physiology) have been pursuing studies aimed at identifying molecular and physiological
interactions coordinating the repair of muscle and vessels after injury. This proposal will leverage the unique
and complementary strengths of both labs and will also develop and apply new 3D imaging and cell culture
techniques to advance this goal. Specifically, the applicant will 1) test the requirement for the juxtacrine
signaling molecule ephrin-B2 in microvessel regeneration following muscle injury; 2) test the hypothesis that
perturbed vessel regeneration will lead to perturbed muscle regeneration; and 3) identify key molecular
interactions between endothelial cells and myoblasts in a novel ex vivo system. These experiments will be the
first to investigate the role microvessel regeneration plays in muscle regeneration, and the first to examine the
role of Eph/ephrin signaling in microvessel regeneration in skeletal muscle. In the course of performing this
research, the applicant will receive training that spans physiological, cell biological, and molecular techniques
and their interpretations as well as experience in critical thinking, reading, and writing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10490965
- **Project number:** 5F31HL158537-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexandra R Diller
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $33,756
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-02 → 2024-04-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10490965

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10490965, Signaling in the Microvasculature During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration (5F31HL158537-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10490965. Licensed CC0.

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