Helping the heart regrow by controlling a protein called YAP
Acetylation Regulates YAP Subcellular Localization and Cardiac Regeneration
The team will try changing chemical tags on the protein YAP to encourage heart muscle cells to divide and help repair hearts damaged by heart attacks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251936 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are looking at how the protein YAP moves into the cell nucleus to switch on genes that let heart muscle cells divide. They will study how chemical tags called acetylation and metabolic factors (like NAD+ and SIRT enzymes) change YAP's location and activity using lab cells and animal models such as mice and pigs. The lab will manipulate the enzymes that add or remove acetyl groups to see if keeping YAP active longer can boost cardiomyocyte division and reduce scarring after a heart attack. The goal is to find molecular targets that could be turned into new therapies to promote heart regeneration.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have had a recent heart attack or who have ischemic heart disease would be the most likely candidates for therapies developed from this research.
Not a fit: People with non-ischemic heart conditions, advanced irreversible scarring, or unrelated health issues may not benefit from therapies targeting YAP acetylation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that help the heart regenerate after a heart attack and improve long-term heart function.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work targeting the Hippo–YAP pathway in mice and pigs has prompted cardiomyocyte proliferation and reduced remodeling, but those effects were limited and temporary, so this builds on promising but incomplete results.
Where this research is happening
Cincinnati, United States
- Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr — Cincinnati, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Shijie — Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Liu, Shijie
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.