Creating a diverse panel of heart cells to test drug safety and effectiveness
Official title: Ethnically Diverse iPSC-Cardiomyocyte Panel for Pharmacogenomics and Drug Safety Testing
Funded at Greenstone Biosciences, INC. · NIH-10920421 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to test how safe drugs are for heart cells from people of different backgrounds, so we can better understand how different groups might react to medications before they are tested in people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Greenstone Biosciences, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $1,447,258 |
| NIH project number | 5R44HL170756-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10920421 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, particularly those at higher risk for drug-induced heart issues.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not belong to the targeted ethnic groups or those without a history of drug-induced cardiotoxicity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a new platform to test the safety of drugs on heart cells derived from diverse ethnic backgrounds. By using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the project aims to create a kit containing 100 unique heart cell lines that represent different ethnicities and sexes. This approach will help identify how different populations respond to drugs, particularly in terms of potential heart-related side effects. The goal is to provide a more accurate and efficient way to predict drug toxicity before clinical trials begin.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer medications tailored to the genetic backgrounds of diverse patient populations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using iPSC technology for drug safety testing, indicating that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Greenstone Biosciences, INC.
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ahmed, Syed Mukhtar — Greenstone Biosciences, INC.
- Study coordinator: Ahmed, Syed Mukhtar
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.