How immune cells and beta blockers affect heart healing after a heart attack
Official title: Project 3
Funded at Temple Univ of the Commonwealth · NIH-11387621 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research program is examining how certain drug targets on immune cells influence heart healing after a heart attack, with hopes of improving outcomes for people who survive acute heart injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Temple Univ of the Commonwealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $388,605 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL134608-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387621 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include patients with a history of acute ischemic heart injury who may benefit from therapies targeting immune cell signaling or who contribute samples for translational studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without recent heart injury or who cannot undergo related studies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This program studies how immune cells called neutrophils and macrophages respond after a heart attack and how signals from beta-adrenergic receptors on these cells impact heart repair. Researchers use a mouse model where a specific receptor (β2AR) is deleted in myeloid cells to see how it changes heart function, scar formation, and inflammation after injury. They also explore how cells release tiny vesicles that may mediate communication in damaged heart tissue and how findings translate to blood cells from heart failure patients. The work aims to map mechanisms of immune-driven remodeling so future therapies can reduce heart damage and improve recovery after MI.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new strategies that limit heart damage and improve recovery after a heart attack by modulating immune cell behavior.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work suggests that modifying myeloid cell signaling can influence cardiac remodeling after injury, with some translation to human samples, though approaches vary by model.
Where this research is happening
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Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tilley, Douglas — Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
- Study coordinator: Tilley, Douglas
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.