# EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX AND AGING (SKIN)

> **NIH NIH R01** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 1992 · $231,030

## Abstract

The focus of the proposed experiments centers on the use of monoclonal
antibodies which react with unique carbohydrate moieties and provide a
high-resolution analysis system of extracellular matrix moieties in human
skin.  The central hypothesis is that proteoglycans provide unique water-
structuring and visco-elastic properties of the extracellular matrix and
that subtle changes in these molecules can have profound effects on the
properties of human skin, especially those associated with aging.  The
availability of unique monoclonal antibodies to specific carbohydrate
epitopes on proteoglycans allows the identification of a distinct
fingerprint for various layers of skin as a function of human age.
Preliminary results establish certain monoclonal antibodies to be unique to
specific skin layers and to subtly change as a function of age.  We propose
to build on these preliminary observations to establish a normative data
base for skin samples as a function of age.  In addition, by using these
monoclonal antibodies, we propose to isolate and characterize the epitope-
containing macromolecules from human skin specimens, in this case,
proteoglycans.  Proteoglycans will be isolated and epitope-reactive
molecules will be obtained, and these macromolecules characterized.  This
project draws together technologies ranging from immunocytochemistry to
detailed proteoglycan biochemistry and will provide basic information about
changes in skin extracellular matrices as a function of human age.

Specific Aims:

1. Identify monoclonal antibodies which react with carbohydrate moieties,
which change in discrete layers of human skin as a function of age (focus
on chondroitin and keratan sulfate epitopes).

2. Use these antibodies which are specific to discrete layers of skin to
isolate and/or characterize the macromolecules which contain these
epitopes.

3. Establish new, innovative techniques to characterize the detailed
microchemistry of proteoglycans relevant to skin aging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3123278
- **Project number:** 1R01AG011331-01
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HJMKEF7EJW69
- **Principal Investigator:** Arnold Irwin Caplan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $231,030
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1992-06-01 → 1997-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3123278

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3123278, EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX AND AGING (SKIN) (1R01AG011331-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3123278. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*