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By: Amy Charles | September 15, 2026
University of Pikeville (UPIKE) Professor of Molecular Biology Kevin Wang, Ph.D., has been awarded a $351,311 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a rapid, plant-based method for producing reteplase, a potentially lifesaving medication used in the emergency treatment of certain severe heart attacks.
The 33-month project, titled “Rapid Production of Nonglycosylated Reteplase for Affordable Thrombolytic Therapy,” is supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, an institute within the NIH, through an R15 award. The award marks the first NIH grant awarded to a faculty member in UPIKE’s undergraduate division.
Wang’s research will investigate whether plants can be used as a rapid and potentially more affordable means to produce nonglycosylated reteplase. Reteplase is a thrombolytic medication, commonly known as a “clot-busting” drug, that helps dissolve blood clots blocking blood flow to the heart. By restoring circulation, the medication can help reduce the risk of death and heart failure following certain severe heart attacks. The long-term goal is to advance more accessible production of the medication and other biomedical therapies.
“I am honored to be the first professor in UPIKE’s undergraduate division to receive this type of NIH grant, and I am grateful for the support of my colleagues, students and university leadership,” Wang said. “This award gives us an opportunity to explore how plants can produce a potentially lifesaving medicine while giving our students a meaningful role in biomedical research. I hope our work will advance more affordable treatments for heart attacks and inspire students to see themselves as future scientists and health professionals.”
The project will also provide extensive hands-on research opportunities for UPIKE undergraduate students. Approximately 25 to 30 students are expected to participate over the course of the project through Wang’s biotechnology courses and mentored laboratory research.
Students will gain experience growing plants, introducing the reteplase gene into plant leaves, extracting and purifying the protein and testing its ability to dissolve blood clots. They will also analyze research data and have opportunities to present their findings at scientific conferences and contribute to research publications, better preparing them for graduate school, health professions and careers in biotechnology.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15HL188200. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.