Cardiac muscle protein C interactions with thin filaments in heart disease
Official title: Mechanisms Of Thin Filament Regulation by Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein C In Health and Disease
Funded at Old Dominion University · NIH-11383805 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project at Old Dominion University is looking at how a heart protein called cMyBP-C helps the heart beat properly and how mutations linked to heart disease change its function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Old Dominion University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norfolk, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,630,808 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL181965-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11383805 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals with or at risk for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or heart failure who could benefit from therapies targeting cMyBP-C pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cardiomyopathy or heart failure related to MYBPC3 mutations may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This study focuses on the cardiac protein cMyBP-C, which helps regulate heart muscle contraction. Using advanced cryo-EM techniques, the team will visualize how cMyBP-C binds to thin filaments at different calcium levels and with a myosin fragment, aiming to map the exact interaction sites. The goal is to understand how mutations that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or heart failure alter these interactions and the heart’s ability to contract. The research could inform development of drugs that modify cMyBP-C’s interactions to protect heart function. The work bridges basic biology with potential pathways for new therapies for heart disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide the design of therapies that stabilize beneficial cMyBP-C interactions to improve heart function in people with cardiomyopathy or heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that studying protein interactions at the molecular level can reveal targets for drug development, though specific cMyBP-C interactions in human disease are still being delineated.
Where this research is happening
-
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Galkin, Vitold — Old Dominion University
- Study coordinator: Galkin, Vitold
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.