CDK13’s role in heart development and congenital heart disease
Official title: CDK13 function in heart development and congenital heart disease
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11378820 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how CDK13 gene changes cause congenital heart defects by studying mouse and stem cell models to explore heart development and RNA processing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $675,555 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL177546-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378820 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with CHDFIDD or related congenital heart defects could benefit from improved understanding and future therapeutic strategies.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage basic research may not yet translate to direct patient benefits for some conditions.
What this research studies
We will use mouse models and human iPSCs to see how reduced CDK13 function affects heart formation and splicing in heart cells. The project will test targeted deletions of CDK13 in heart progenitor lineages and examine RNA processing and cellular function. By comparing normal and altered CDK13 conditions, researchers hope to link molecular changes to heart malformations seen in CHD patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could reveal new targets for diagnosing or treating congenital heart defects linked to CDK13.
How similar studies have gone: Existing studies support a link between CDK13 function, RNA processing, and heart development, with ongoing work building on this foundation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Da-Zhi — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Wang, Da-Zhi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Multimodal AI to improve genetic diagnosis of congenital heart disease
A new AI tool uses multiple types of patient data to help doctors find genetic causes of congenital heart disease more accurately.
-
Multimodal AI to improve genetic diagnosis of congenital heart disease
A big AI project will help doctors and families by better identifying genetic causes of congenital heart defects using imaging, medical data, and genome information.
-
Brain injury risk in preterm babies with heart disease and how surgery choices affect their brains
This project follows newborns with congenital heart disease born early to understand how their brains are affected and how different surgical approaches might influence outcomes.
-
Newborn brain injury risk during birth transition in babies with congenital heart defects
This project will look at how circulation changes around birth affect newborn brain health in babies with transposition of the great arteries.
-
Heart development study using patient stem cells to understand NOTCH1 and congenital heart disease
A study using patient-derived stem cells and genome editing to learn how NOTCH1 affects early heart development and congenital heart defects in humans.
-
AI-powered echocardiography to spot common heart defects in newborns
A new AI tool analyzes infant heart ultrasound images to help non-specialist health workers identify five common, treatable heart defects early.
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.