The NIH and the National Institute on Aging awarded scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai a $21 million grant to further advance understanding of an aging-related hormone known as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), including its potential role in obesity, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to develop new treatments for these and other conditions involving aging.
“We are delighted that the NIH has recognized the potential of our work by awarding this generous grant,” says Mone Zaidi, MD, director of the center for translational medicine and pharmacology at Icahn Mount Sinai. “Our focus for more than 25 years has been on identifying actionable targets for major public health diseases. This research offers the potential for a new drug for menopause and could also possibly help advance treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and osteoporosis, affecting millions of people worldwide.”
Zaidi and his team have demonstrated that inhibiting FSH increases bone mass and reduces body fat and neurodegeneration, providing a vital basis for creating a single anti-FSH agent that could potentially treat these conditions.
In 2017, Nature Medicine selected Zaidi’s work on FSH and body fat as one of the eight “Notable Advances” in biomedicine. With more than 450 publications in prestigious journals, Zaidi’s research has received continuous funding from the NIH.
“The work of Dr. Zaidi and collaborators has the potential to transform our understanding of aging-related hormones, with significant implications for global health. Their contributions could pave the way for new treatments and interventions that improve the quality of life for older adults worldwide,” says Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “We are grateful to the NIH for their support to further advance this critical research.”