Helping the injured heart by clearing damaged proteins
Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy in Cardiac Fibrosis
This project looks at whether improving a protein-cleanup system in heart repair cells helps hearts recover better after a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11325452 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how chaperone-mediated autophagy, a targeted protein-cleanup pathway, controls the behavior of fibroblasts that form scar tissue after a heart attack. They will use lab experiments on cells and animal models with targeted changes in fibroblast CMA and measure effects on cell movement, collagen production, and heart repair. The team will apply proteomics and bioinformatics to identify which proteins CMA removes during healing and compare those patterns with changes seen in aging hearts. Together, these approaches aim to explain why older hearts heal less well and whether fixing CMA can improve repair.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have had a recent myocardial infarction or who have heart scarring, especially older adults, would be the most relevant candidates for related future studies or tissue donation.
Not a fit: People without heart injury or with non-cardiac conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that improve healing and reduce scarring after heart attacks, helping preserve heart function.
How similar studies have performed: Related studies on general autophagy pathways have shown promise for heart disease, but targeting chaperone-mediated autophagy in cardiac fibroblasts is a relatively new and early-stage approach.
Where this research is happening
Bronx, United States
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine — Bronx, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Frangogiannis, Nikolaos G — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Frangogiannis, Nikolaos G
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.