How heart muscle cells mature after birth
Gene Regulatory Networks in Postnatal Cardiomyocyte Maturation
This project studies how gene regulation and chromatin changes help heart muscle cells mature after birth to improve treatments for heart disease and cell-based heart repair.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11362109 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are focused on the switch that heart muscle cells make after birth so they can beat strongly for life. The team will study a key chromatin enzyme called CHD4 and the NuRD complex by manipulating them in heart cells and in postnatal mouse hearts to see how gene programs change. They will also use human pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes to compare fetal-like and adult-like features, looking at gene activity, chromatin state, cell cycle exit, contractile structure, and metabolism. The work combines molecular assays, genomics, and stem-cell models to link gene regulation with the maturation steps that failing hearts or lab-grown cells struggle to complete.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with congenital heart disease linked to CHD4 or related genetic causes, or individuals willing to donate tissue, blood, or clinical data for research, would be most relevant to this project.
Not a fit: People without heart disease or those seeking an immediate treatment or clinical therapy are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic and preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to targets or methods to make lab-grown heart cells more adult-like and identify therapies to prevent or treat heart failure tied to immature cardiomyocytes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have shown CHD4 is important for embryonic heart formation, but applying chromatin-focused approaches to promote postnatal cardiomyocyte maturation and improve stem-cell therapies is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Omaha, United States
- University of Nebraska Medical Center — Omaha, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shi, Wei — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Shi, Wei
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.