How neutrophils and monocytes coordinate to help the heart heal after a heart attack
Official title: A dialogue between neutrophils and monocytes for effective resolution of inflammation following acute myocardial injury
Funded at University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr · NIH-11127493 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is learning how early immune cells (neutrophils and monocytes) clear damage and calm inflammation after a heart attack to improve healing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $569,242 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL156856-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127493 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people who recently had an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and are at risk for excessive post‑MI inflammation or worsening heart function.
✕Less likely to help
People without a recent heart attack or with conditions unrelated to acute cardiac inflammation are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are looking at the immune response that follows a heart attack to find which signals help or harm repair. They analyze immune cells from injured hearts and use gene-expression (RNA-seq) data to identify receptors and pathways—like S100A8/A9, TLR4, Mertk, CD36, Msr1 and Marco—that control cleanup and resolution. The work mixes laboratory experiments and animal models to see how neutrophils and monocytes communicate and whether promoting resolution pathways speeds recovery. Findings will guide ideas for therapies that steer inflammation toward healing rather than broadly suppressing immune cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that help the heart heal after a heart attack by promoting resolution of inflammation rather than bluntly blocking immune cells.
How similar studies have gone: Broad neutrophil‑blocking strategies have not improved outcomes in past trials, and this more focused approach on neutrophil–monocyte signaling and resolution pathways is relatively new though supported by promising early laboratory data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nagareddy, Prabhakara Reddy — University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
- Study coordinator: Nagareddy, Prabhakara Reddy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Neutrophil-monocyte communication to improve heart healing after a heart attack
A patient-centered look at how white blood cells talk to each other after a heart attack to help the heart heal better.
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Improving care for heart injury during sepsis
This project aims to find better ways to understand and treat heart muscle injury that can happen when someone has sepsis.
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Investigating a new method for early detection of heart tissue damage
This study is testing a new imaging method using a special tracer to spot early signs of heart scarring, which can help doctors catch heart problems sooner and improve treatment options for patients.
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.