Activating the brain's melanocortin system to protect the heart
Cardiac protective mechanisms of melanocortin system activation
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MED CTR · NIH-11247942
Testing whether activating a brain pathway called the melanocortin system can protect the heart after a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MED CTR (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (JACKSON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11247942 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project looks at whether turning on a brain circuit called the leptin-melanocortin pathway can keep the heart working better after a heart attack. Researchers use animal models that mimic a heart attack in rats and deliver leptin or synthetic MC4R agonists into the brain to see if heart pumping, exercise capacity, and heart muscle health improve. Early results in rats showed restoration of ejection fraction and other measures of heart function back toward normal. The team will study how the brain-to-heart signaling protects cardiac cells to guide possible future treatments for people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have recently had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and are at risk of developing heart failure would be the likely candidates for related future trials.
Not a fit: People without recent ischemic heart injury or those with heart failure from non-ischemic causes may not benefit from this specific brain-targeted approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that protect the heart and lower the chance of heart failure after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Related preclinical studies, including the team's own work in rats, have shown heart-protective effects, but this approach has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
JACKSON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MED CTR — JACKSON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SILVA, ALEXANDRE ALVES DA — UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MED CTR
- Study coordinator: SILVA, ALEXANDRE ALVES DA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.