# Cell fusion and the role of syncytia in the response to epithelial damage

> **NIH NIH R01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $57,455

## Abstract

Project Summary
The parent grant investigates wound-induced syncytia in an epithelium in vivo – from how
syncytia form to how they participate in closing wounds to how they are eliminated after a
wound closes. We specifically analyze syncytia around laser wounds, and the laser ablation is
conducted on a confocal microscope, allowing us to image before, during, and after ablation
with very high temporal resolution – as fast as a 30-millisecond frame rate. Our current Nd:YAG
laser generates a gradient of damage across the wound bed, with the central area comprised of
cell lysis, and a peripheral area of plasma membrane damage from which cells can recover.
We have evidence that syncytia arise from the fusion of cells within the region of plasma
membrane damage: wound-induced epithelial fusions localize to this area, and cells begin to
share their cytoplasmic contents with their neighbors within 500 ms after wounding, suggesting
that the damaged membranes are fusogenic. What we need, however, is to administer laser
wounds in such a way that they do not generate plasma membrane damage; if we can do this,
we predict that no syncytia would form. Our current laser is not suited to this task, so we
propose to purchase a compact fiber laser with sub-100-fs pulses, which would deliver uniform
damage across the wound area in a fraction of a second. This equipment, not available
anywhere on campus, would allow us to complete the aims of the parent proposal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11036074
- **Project number:** 3R01GM130130-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** M. Shane Hutson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $57,455
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11036074

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11036074, Cell fusion and the role of syncytia in the response to epithelial damage (3R01GM130130-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11036074. Licensed CC0.

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