How nerves control heart muscle excitability
Neural Control of Myocardial Excitability at the Nerve Myocyte Interface
Researchers are mapping how nerve signals and chemicals around scarred heart tissue change heart rhythm to help people at risk of dangerous ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure.
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-11171341 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project examines how nerve endings and the chemicals they release affect the heart's electrical activity, especially near scars that form after heart injury. The team will define the number and arrangement of nerves touching heart muscle cells (nerve-myocyte stoichiometry), study tiny structural changes with high-resolution methods, and measure patterns of neurotransmitter release. Work will combine laboratory models and diseased heart tissue to compare healthy and scarred regions and link structural nerve changes to abnormal heart rhythms. The goal is to explain how neural remodeling near scars raises the risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy, visible myocardial scarring, or a history of ventricular arrhythmias would be the most relevant candidates for this line of research.
Not a fit: Patients whose arrhythmias come from unrelated causes such as isolated atrial arrhythmias or primary genetic channelopathies may not benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or treat deadly ventricular arrhythmias by targeting nerve–heart interactions.
How similar studies have performed: Some therapies that target the autonomic nervous system (for example, beta-blockers and neuromodulation) have reduced arrhythmias, but detailed mapping of nerve–myocyte structure and release patterns is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shivkumar, Kalyanam — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Shivkumar, Kalyanam
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.