How mutations affect heart muscle function at the tiny level
Official title: The interaction of myosin and the thin filament: how sarcomeric mutations cause allosteric dysfunction and their connections to genetic cardiomyopathies
Funded at University of Arizona · NIH-11269393 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how heart muscle proteins interact at the smallest scale to understand why certain genetic changes lead to heart muscle disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $650,419 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL182883-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11269393 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or related cardiac muscle disorders, or those at risk due to family history, who may benefit from future targeted therapies informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without a cardiomyopathy or related condition may not directly benefit from this specific basic science study.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the heart’s thin filament and its interacting proteins behave, especially when mutations linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are present. By combining advanced imaging structures with a new time-resolved method, scientists aim to see how mobile regions of the protein complex influence heart muscle control. The work will explore dynamic interactions between neighboring filament units to reveal how mutation effects travel through the heart muscle. Results could provide a clearer picture of why some people develop abnormal heart thickening and how to target it.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could illuminate new targets for therapies that modulate heart muscle regulation in patients with genetic cardiomyopathies.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary models and recently published cryo-EM structures support the relevance of studying dynamic interactions in the cardiac thin filament, suggesting potential for meaningful advances.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Arizona
Tucson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tardiff, Jil C — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Tardiff, Jil C
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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.