How a new form of the G6PD enzyme changes artery muscle cells
Official title: Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype by a Novel Isoform of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase
Funded at New York Medical College · NIH-11232349 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether a newly found form of the G6PD enzyme in artery muscle cells affects artery stiffness and remodeling, especially in people with common G6PD gene variants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York Medical College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Valhalla, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $675,671 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL166546-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11232349 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with large-artery disease, coronary artery disease, obesity or metabolic syndrome, or known G6PD variants (particularly Mediterranean or African types) would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without vascular disease or whose symptoms come from non-arterial causes would be unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research in the short term.
What this research studies
The team is studying a newly discovered version of the G6PD enzyme that sits inside the nucleus of vascular smooth muscle cells and may change how artery walls behave. They will use lab-grown cells and genetic mouse models that mimic human G6PD variants, along with injury and metabolic-stress models like obesity, to see how the enzyme alters gene activity and artery structure. The researchers will apply epigenetic tools such as ATAC-seq and other molecular assays to find which genes are turned on or off and how DNA is packaged in these cells. If human samples are included, they will compare G6PD variants common in Mediterranean or African ancestry to help explain observed differences in coronary disease risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new targets to prevent or reverse artery stiffening and reduce heart and vascular disease risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked common G6PD loss-of-function variants with lower coronary disease rates, but exploring a nuclear G6PD isoform and its epigenetic effects is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
New York Medical College
Valhalla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gupte, Sachin a — New York Medical College
- Study coordinator: Gupte, Sachin a
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.