Energy metabolism changes in smooth muscle cells and aortic disease progression
Official title: Energy Metabolism Reprograming in Smooth Muscle Cell in Aortic Disease Progression
Funded at Mainehealth · NIH-11624833 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how energy use in smooth muscle cells affects the progression of aortic aneurysm and dissection in people with aortic diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mainehealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $292,957 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM121301-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11624833 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection may be eligible for future studies or related biomarker analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without aortic disease or without involvement of smooth muscle cell pathology may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the energy systems inside smooth muscle cells of the aorta change as disease progresses, potentially guiding new treatments to keep the aorta stable. It uses cutting-edge techniques like single-cell sequencing and genomic analyses to identify metabolic switches and key genes like PRDM6 that may drive harmful changes. By testing how these energy changes influence cell behavior, researchers hope to uncover targets that could prevent aneurysm growth and dissection. The work is anchored at MaineHealth and involves close collaboration with clinical insights from patients with aortic disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new metabolic therapies that slow aneurysm growth or reduce dissection risk for people with ATAAD.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data from single-cell analyses suggest disease-specific energy metabolism changes, supporting a novel therapeutic angle but needing further validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Mainehealth
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Yanming — Mainehealth
- Study coordinator: Li, Yanming
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.