GAS6/Axl signaling and common high blood pressure
Official title: A Role of GAS6/Axl Signaling in the Development of Essential Hypertension
Funded at Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center · NIH-11130961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether a protein signal called GAS6 activating Axl on certain immune cells drives inflammation that contributes to high blood pressure in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2BX005605-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11130961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with essential (primary) hypertension, particularly those with cardiovascular disease or risk of organ damage, would be the most relevant group for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People with secondary hypertension caused by a known condition (such as hormonal or structural kidney disease), children, or individuals without an immune/inflammation component are less likely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow up on recent single-cell findings that identified Axl-expressing immune cells that can trigger inflammation. They will expose human blood immune cells (CD14+ monocytes) to GAS6 or to stretched blood-vessel cells that mimic high blood pressure and measure inflammatory inflammasome activation, reactive oxygen species, and isoLG-adduct formation. The team will test whether scavenging isoLGs or blocking GAS6/Axl signaling reduces these inflammatory signals. Experiments use human cells and complementary lab models to link vessel stress to immune-driven organ injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to block inflammation (for example by targeting GAS6/Axl or isoLGs) to prevent or reduce organ damage from high blood pressure.
How similar studies have gone: This builds on recent single-cell studies that found Axl+ immune cells can drive inflammation, but linking GAS6/Axl signaling directly to human hypertension is a new and not-yet-proven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van Beusecum, Justin Pieter — Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Van Beusecum, Justin Pieter
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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.