How chemical tags on heart cell messages control heart enlargement
Post-transcriptional regulation of cardiac hypertrophy
Researchers are studying how a chemical tag called m6A on heart cell messages affects heart enlargement, with the aim of informing future treatments for people with heart failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320807 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on METTL3, an enzyme that adds an m6A chemical tag to messenger RNAs and how that tagging changes which proteins heart cells make. The team uses genetically modified mice with extra or reduced METTL3 in heart cells to see how hearts grow and function both at baseline and under stress. They will examine how m6A alters translation of specific mRNAs and how METTL3 itself is regulated. Although the experiments are in mice, the goal is to reveal mechanisms relevant to human cardiac hypertrophy that could guide future patient-centered therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cardiac hypertrophy or early-stage heart failure would be most relevant for future studies or potential therapies arising from this work.
Not a fit: Patients without heart muscle disease or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new molecular targets for therapies to prevent or reverse harmful heart enlargement in people with heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies indicate METTL3 and m6A modifications can influence heart size and function, but therapeutic approaches targeting this pathway are still experimental.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Accornero, Federica — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Accornero, Federica
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.