Helping heart muscle cells divide so the heart can heal
Eliciting Cardiomyocyte Proliferation by Un-blocking Mitotic Transit
This work looks for ways to make adult heart muscle cells divide again to help people recover after heart attacks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11230249 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They are studying why adult heart muscle cells stop completing cell division after birth and how to unblock that process. In lab-grown heart cells and mouse models of heart attack, they will examine the cell machinery and steps that decide whether a cell fully divides or becomes polyploid. The team will test molecular strategies aimed at promoting complete mitosis and generation of daughter cells. The goal is to produce findings that guide future treatments to encourage the heart to regrow lost muscle.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have suffered an ischemic heart injury or heart attack and are at risk of heart failure would be the primary candidates for future therapies arising from this work.
Not a fit: People whose heart problems come from non-ischemic causes, advanced irreversible scarring, or other conditions unlikely to respond to regenerative approaches may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enable new treatments that regrow heart muscle after heart attacks and lower the risk of heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies in mice and cells have shown that nudging cardiomyocytes back into division can increase heart muscle cells, but safe and effective human treatments have not yet been achieved.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Han, Lu — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Han, Lu
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.