How heart-cell lysosomes might cause dangerous heart rhythms
Official title: Lysosomes and arrhythmia
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11258018 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether tiny cell compartments called lysosomes in heart cells cause dangerous abnormal heart rhythms in people with cardiomyopathy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | January 10, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $741,067 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL177974-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258018 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cardiomyopathy or a history of ventricular arrhythmias would be the most likely to benefit from therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without heart muscle disease or with arrhythmias unrelated to ventricular calcium handling (for example isolated supraventricular arrhythmias) are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project studies how lysosomes in heart muscle cells store and release calcium and how that may trigger abnormal electrical activity that leads to ventricular arrhythmias. The team will use lab models of cardiomyopathy and cellular measurements of calcium and membrane voltage to see how lysosome–sarcoplasmic reticulum and lysosome–mitochondria interactions affect heart cell electrical behavior. They will test whether blocking lysosomal calcium release or its downstream effects reduces action potential prolongation and triggered activity. Results will be used to identify possible targets for drugs to lower arrhythmic risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent dangerous ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in people with cardiomyopathy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies showed mitochondrial calcium handling can drive arrhythmia and that blocking mitochondrial Ca2+ influx reduced arrhythmias in models, while the role of lysosomes in this process is a newer concept with limited direct testing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dudley, Samuel C — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Dudley, Samuel C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how heart nerves affect dangerous heart rhythms after a heart attack
This NIH grant studies how changes in the heart’s nerve signaling after a heart attack lead to dangerous rhythm problems, with the goal of finding ways to prevent them.
-
Dexterous needle ablation for ventricular arrhythmia guided by MRI
A new MRI-guided, robot-assisted catheter delivers deeper heart tissue ablation to treat ventricular tachycardia.
-
Sex-specific heart cell signaling and rhythm problems linked to a heart failure drug target
A study from UCLA aims to understand how a key heart signaling pathway controls heart beating and rhythm differently in men and women with heart failure.
-
Additive-made wearable magnetic sensors for heart monitoring with AI
A wearable system using affordable, 3D-printed sensors and machine learning to help detect heart rhythm problems in people.
-
Understanding fat deposits after heart attack and their link to dangerous heart rhythms
A Penn Medicine team is studying how fat buildup in the heart after a heart attack may influence dangerous heart rhythms and recovery.
-
Developing 3D Real-Time CMR for Arrhythmia Imaging
Aims to make real-time 3D heart MRI usable for people with irregular heartbeats to improve how doctors see arrhythmias.
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.