# Regulation of human tendon development and regeneration

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $622,862

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
After injury, tendon function is often compromised due to poor healing and failure to regenerate native structure.
Due to limited treatment options, there is an unmet clinical need for effective therapies that promote tendon
healing and functional restoration. However, our incomplete understanding of tendon biology prevents the design
of therapeutics that activate regenerative pathways involved in tendon formation. In particular, two major
obstacles exist: (1) the critical regulators of tendon induction and differentiation are unknown and (2) the
regulators driving non-regenerative adult tendon healing have not been elucidated or overcome. While the
mouse is the gold standard model to study the biology of mammalian tendon development and healing, the
extent of its relevance to human is unclear. To address these questions, we established robust differentiation
protocols to derive tenocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem
cells (hiPSCs). Using these in vitro tendon differentiation models in combination with human and mouse
embryos, clinically relevant injury models, and multiomics approaches, we will determine transcriptional and
epigenetic regulation of tendon cell fate in the contexts of development and injury.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10821431
- **Project number:** 5R01AR081673-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Alice H Huang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $622,862
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-15 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10821431

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10821431, Regulation of human tendon development and regeneration (5R01AR081673-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10821431. Licensed CC0.

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