Early triggers of neutrophil-driven heart injury after a heart attack
Very early drivers of neutrophilic inflammation in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion
This project tests whether blocking a specific immune signal made by neutrophils can reduce heart damage that happens right after blood flow is restored following a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323878 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you had a heart attack, restoring blood flow can cause a rapid immune response where neutrophils enter the heart and worsen injury, and this project focuses on those first minutes to hours. Researchers are reading the activity of individual neutrophils using single-cell RNA sequencing and are using special mice that lack key interferon signaling only in neutrophils. They will also run lab tests on human neutrophils taken from blood to see how the type I interferon pathway works in people. Together these approaches aim to find ways to limit early neutrophil-driven damage after reperfusion.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who recently experienced a heart attack and received reperfusion treatment (for example, angioplasty or clot-busting therapy) within the first day are most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: Patients with chronic heart failure unrelated to a recent ischemia-reperfusion event or those with remote, long-standing heart damage are unlikely to benefit from these early-intervention findings in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to therapies that limit early immune-driven heart damage after reperfusion and improve recovery after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and the team's preliminary data indicate that blocking type I interferon signaling can reduce reperfusion injury, but translating this into human treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levit, Rebecca Diane — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Levit, Rebecca Diane
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.