Hormonal limits on heart cell division in mammalian hearts
Official title: Hormonal contraints limiting mammalian cardiomyocyte cell division
Funded at San Jose State University · NIH-11424800 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at why adult hearts can’t regrow after injury and explores how hormones, especially thyroid hormone, stop heart cells from dividing to help young hearts regenerate.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Jose State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Jose, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $146,500 |
| NIH project number | 1R16GM165977-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11424800 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a clinical trial; research uses cell models and animal studies to understand human heart biology, with potential future relevance to patients with heart disease.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation in this grant as described; future work may translate to human therapies.
What this research studies
In newborn mammals, heart cells can briefly multiply to repair damage, but this ability fades after birth. The project investigates how thyroid hormone might enforce this loss of cell division and whether blocking TH could unlock regenerative potential. Researchers will study cell-cycle signals, imaging of heart cells, and how TH interacts with other pathways to control cell division. The work combines cell culture experiments and analyses of how heart cells mature after birth to understand mechanisms behind limited heart regeneration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new strategies to promote heart repair after injury in adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest thyroid signaling affects heart cell division, but this project explores novel links between TH, GSK3 inhibition, and cell-cycle dynamics.
Where this research is happening
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San Jose State University
San Jose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Payumo, Alexander Y — San Jose State University
- Study coordinator: Payumo, Alexander Y
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.