How activated protein C helps protect the blood vessel lining
Official title: Endothelial Cytoprotective Signaling by Activated Protein C/Protease-activated Receptor-1
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11494357 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how activated protein C helps the cells that line blood vessels stay healthy during conditions like sepsis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $70,029 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL163931-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11494357 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with severe sepsis or other conditions marked by endothelial barrier dysfunction would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose problems are unrelated to endothelial barrier failure (for example, conditions driven solely by structural heart defects without vascular inflammation) may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This work aims to learn how activated protein C (a natural anticoagulant) signals through a receptor called PAR1 to protect endothelial cells that line blood vessels from injury and cell death. Researchers will study key signaling partners such as b-arrestin-2, GRK5, and caveolin-1 using laboratory-grown endothelial cells and molecular methods to see how these components preserve barrier function and prevent apoptosis. The team will map the specific molecular steps that enable protective signaling and test how altering those steps changes barrier stability. Learning these mechanisms could point to new drug targets to strengthen blood vessels in severe infections and other vascular injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide development of therapies that strengthen the blood vessel barrier and reduce organ damage and deaths from sepsis and related vascular diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior clinical and laboratory work showed activated protein C can protect blood vessels and was tested in sepsis, but the precise signaling mechanisms are still being defined and this b-arrestin–focused approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Trejo, Joann — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Trejo, Joann
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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.