NCATS Will Administer 18 Research Awards On Extracellular RNA Communication
To investigate the emerging field of extracellular RNA and its role in human health conditions.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced $17 million in awards today for the Extracellular RNA (exRNA) Communication program. This trans-NIH initiative is designed to advance research in a newly discovered type of cell-to-cell communication that may play a role in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of health conditions.
Through 24 awarded research projects, scientists will explore basic exRNA biology and develop tools and technologies that apply new knowledge about exRNA to the research, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, including many types of cancer, bone marrow disorders, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Of these projects, NCATS will administer 18 awards through which researchers will develop biomarkers from exRNA and design new ways to use exRNA in treatments.
The program is supported by the NIH Common Fund and led by a trans-NIH team that includes NCATS; the National Cancer Institute; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
