Damaged DNA inside cells may drive the heart to age faster
Cytosolic DNA is the Link Between Genomic Instability and Cardiovascular Aging
This work looks at whether bits of DNA that leak into the cell fluid trigger inflammation and aging in heart cells, which could matter for older adults and people with LMNA gene changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321190 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study heart tissue from people and laboratory models to see how DNA that escapes the nucleus (cytosolic DNA) activates inflammatory pathways in cardiac muscle cells. They will map how the LMNA gene and its associated genome regions change in aging and in laminopathy patients, and follow signals from the cGAS–STING pathway that drive cell senescence. The team will use mouse models, human cardiac cells, and human heart samples to link genomic instability to heart aging and to measure the senescence-associated secretions that harm heart tissue. Findings will be used to guide future approaches that aim to block DNA-driven inflammation in the aging heart.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include adults with LMNA-related laminopathies or older adults with signs of heart aging who can provide tissue samples or enroll in sample-collection studies.
Not a fit: People without heart aging symptoms or LMNA-related changes, and those seeking immediate treatment, are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this research right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to reduce DNA-driven inflammation in heart cells and slow cardiovascular aging or complications in people with LMNA-related disease.
How similar studies have performed: Related research has shown links between cytosolic DNA, the cGAS–STING pathway, and aging in animal and tissue studies, but therapies targeting this pathway for human heart aging are not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marian, Ali J — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Marian, Ali J
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.