Heart signals may influence fat and the body through tiny vesicles
Official title: Project 2
Funded at Temple Univ of the Commonwealth · NIH-11387614 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A heart-focused research grant is exploring how heart-derived factors carried in tiny vesicles can affect fat tissue and overall metabolism, especially after a high-fat diet, with potential implications for heart health and weight management.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Temple Univ of the Commonwealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $388,605 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL134608-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387614 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with metabolic or cardiac conditions where heart signaling affects fat tissue or metabolism may ultimately benefit.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without metabolic or cardiovascular risk factors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the heart communicates with fat tissue via extracellular vesicles and how this dialogue changes when adrenergic signaling in heart cells is altered. By studying GRK2 levels in heart muscle cells and their impact on vesicle cargo, researchers aim to understand how these signals influence adiposity and metabolic outcomes. The work combines cell culture experiments and analyses of heart tissue signals to map the pathway from cardiac cells to adipocytes and beyond. If successful, findings could reveal new targets to modulate heart-adipose communication in metabolic or cardiac disease contexts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the research succeeds, it could identify new ways to influence heart–fat communication to support heart health and metabolic balance.
How similar studies have gone: Prior data from the same lab show that heart signals can alter adiposity via vesicles, suggesting a plausible and progressive line of investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koch, Walter J. — Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
- Study coordinator: Koch, Walter J.
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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.