Changes in the heart's outer lining during heart muscle disease and aging
Epicardial remodeling in cardiomyopathy and cardiac aging
Researchers are looking at how the heart's outer lining changes with aging and heart muscle disease to find ways to protect and rejuvenate the heart.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326706 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know that the team studies the epicardium, the thin outer layer of the heart, and how it changes in cardiomyopathy and normal aging. They use animal models including zebrafish with a BAG3-related cardiomyopathy, killifish, and mice, and screen for genes like fabp7 and gpnmb that mark different epicardial cell types. Those gene findings help them test whether changing epicardial behavior can slow heart aging or improve heart muscle disease. The goal is to turn discoveries about epicardial remodeling into strategies that might protect or rejuvenate damaged hearts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with cardiomyopathy—especially those linked to BAG3—or older adults worried about heart aging would be the most relevant people for this line of research.
Not a fit: People with non-cardiac conditions, congenital heart defects unrelated to epicardial remodeling, or very advanced heart failure may be unlikely to benefit from these basic research findings in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could point to new treatments that protect the heart's outer layer and slow or reverse damage from cardiomyopathy and age-related heart decline.
How similar studies have performed: Related animal-model studies have identified promising genes and pathways, but translating these basic findings into proven human therapies remains untested and early.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Xiaolei — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Xu, Xiaolei
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.