Heart swelling after blood flow returns (ischemia–reperfusion) and its effects
Ischemia/Reperfusion injury and Myocardial edema
This work tests a way to block the fluid swelling that follows a heart attack when blood flow is restored, with the goal of protecting heart muscle and lowering arrhythmia risk for people who suffer acute heart attacks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129714 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are studying the swelling (edema) that happens in the heart when blood flow is cut off and then restored after a heart attack, because that swelling can make damage much worse. The team is focusing on a pathway driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and aims to stop the leakage that causes edema without blocking healthy blood vessel growth. In lab and preclinical work they have seen that selectively preventing VEGF-driven permeability can cut heart attack size by roughly half and help preserve heart pumping and rhythm. Over the grant period they will refine the approach, study mechanisms, and generate the data needed to move toward safety testing and eventual human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future trials would be people who recently experienced an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) treated with restored blood flow (reperfusion).
Not a fit: Patients with chronic non-ischemic heart disease or those who have not experienced recent ischemia/reperfusion events are unlikely to benefit directly from this work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could substantially reduce heart muscle damage after heart attacks, preserve heart function, and lower dangerous arrhythmias.
How similar studies have performed: Existing anti-VEGF drugs block vessel growth and are unsuitable for acute ischemia, but preliminary data from this team show a novel, selective blockage of VEGF-driven permeability that produced about a 50% reduction in infarct size in preclinical models.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Simons, Michael — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Simons, Michael
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.