How scarring changes the heart's stretchiness and affects heart muscle cells
Official title: Cardiomyopathy-induced changes in myocardial viscoelasticity and its effects on cell phenotype
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11249670 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether scarring in people with hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy makes the heart stiffer and changes how heart muscle cells work.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | December 20, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $233,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R21HL173827-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249670 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or dilated cardiomyopathy, or those willing to donate cardiac tissue or clinical data, would be the most relevant participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without cardiomyopathy or those seeking immediate therapies are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure how the mechanical properties of heart tissue change in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy compared with healthy hearts. They will recreate those healthy and diseased mechanical environments in the lab using engineered materials that mimic tissue viscoelasticity. Heart muscle cells will be placed on these materials to see how stiffness and viscosity alter cell behavior and function. Findings will link changes in the extracellular matrix to shifts in cell phenotype that could drive disease progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new ways to protect heart muscle or slow cardiomyopathy by targeting the tissue's mechanical properties.
How similar studies have gone: Related research shows mechanical environments can change muscle cell behavior in other tissues, but applying these methods specifically to myocardial viscoelasticity and cardiomyocytes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stowers, Ryan — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Stowers, Ryan
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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.