How cells move heme from mitochondria to other proteins
Defining a pathway for mitochondrial heme trafficking
This project explores whether the common cell protein GAPDH carries heme inside cells to help other proteins work, which could matter to people with anemia and other heme-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170561 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will work in the lab with purified proteins and cultured mammalian cells to watch how heme produced in mitochondria is passed to other proteins. They will control how much heme cells make, track GAPDH binding to heme in living cells, and follow transfer of heme to specific target proteins. The team will map GAPDH interactions with several known heme-dependent proteins and test how those interactions affect the proteins' function. Findings could point to the cellular steps that fail in diseases tied to heme biology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with anemia or other conditions linked to abnormal heme metabolism would be most relevant to the questions this research aims to inform.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to heme biology or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets for therapies that fix faulty heme delivery in anemia and other heme-related disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory work has suggested GAPDH can bind heme and hand it off to some proteins, but applying that finding broadly or turning it into therapies is still novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stuehr, Dennis J — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Stuehr, Dennis J
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.