# Stem Cell Integral Membrane Transporter ABCB5 and Dermal Regeneration

> **NIH NIH P01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2024 · $538,988

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Project 3 will test the central hypotheses that (1) ABCB5(+) dermal mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC) are
required for normal adult skin homeostasis and regeneration; (2) ABCB5(+) DMSC decline is responsible
for impaired skin homeostasis and regenerative wound healing during aging; and (3) ABCB5(+) DMSC
transplantation possesses therapeutic potential to restore age-related impairment of skin homeostasis and
regeneration. The overall significance of this study are the potential shifts in research paradigms resulting
from successful completion of this research: (1) The proposed experiments will answer a fundamental
question in stem cell biology and aging that has not been addressed as-of-yet in prospective studies – To
what extent is selective dysfunction in an adult stem cell compartment (vis-à-vis dysregulation of
differentiated tissues) responsible for organismal aging?; and (2) Documentation of the regenerative
capacity of ABCB5(+) DMSC along with demonstration of their decline as a cause age-related impairment
of skin regenerative capacity will lay the foundation for targeted employment of this candidate cell
therapeutic for the treatment of cutaneous wounds in aging patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10884378
- **Project number:** 5P01AG071463-03
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Markus H. Frank
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $538,988
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-30 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10884378

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10884378, Stem Cell Integral Membrane Transporter ABCB5 and Dermal Regeneration (5P01AG071463-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10884378. Licensed CC0.

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