How nerve signals control dangerous heart rhythms
Cellular Basis for Autonomic Regulation of Cardiac Arrhythmias
This work looks at whether nerve chemicals change heart cells in ways that trigger dangerous rhythms after a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171343 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on the heart tissue around a prior heart attack and how nerve signals affect the electrical behavior of those heart cells. Scientists will use lab and animal experiments to test how norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and co-transmitters like neuropeptide Y and VIP alter action potentials in cells from the infarct border zone. They will link those cellular effects to the reentrant electrical activity that sustains ventricular arrhythmias and explore how boosting parasympathetic activity might reduce them. The goal is to explain cellular triggers of sudden cardiac death so new prevention strategies can be developed.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people who have had a prior myocardial infarction and are at higher risk for ventricular arrhythmias or sudden cardiac arrest.
Not a fit: People without prior heart attacks or whose arrhythmias stem from non-autonomic causes may not benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments or nerve-targeted therapies to prevent life-threatening arrhythmias after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work such as chronic vagal nerve stimulation in models has reduced arrhythmias, but detailed cellular responses to autonomic transmitters in the infarct border zone remain relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harvey, Robert D — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Harvey, Robert D
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.