How SPTLC3 affects aging, diet, and heart disease risk
Official title: Effect of SPTLC3 on aging- and diet-induced insulin resistance and atherosclerosis
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11446562 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how a particular enzyme SPTLC3 influences aging-related insulin resistance, fatty liver disease risk, and atherosclerosis, especially when eating a high-fat diet.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $799,659 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL183385-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446562 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (and aging individuals) at risk for insulin resistance, MAFLD, or ASCVD who may benefit from future therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Children or individuals without metabolic or cardiovascular risk factors may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine the role of the SPTLC3 enzyme in how aging and a high-fat diet drive metabolic problems such as insulin resistance and artery plaque. The project builds on past work showing SPTLC3 may be linked to metabolic diseases and aims to uncover how SPTLC3 functions in liver and fat tissues as animals age. Using mouse models and human tissue data, the study will explore whether altering SPTLC3 activity can modify disease pathways related to MAFLD, dyslipidemia, and ASCVD. Findings could identify new targets for therapies to reduce metabolic and cardiovascular risk in older adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and atherosclerosis by targeting SPTLC3.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary evidence suggests SPTLC3 is linked to metabolic diseases, with animal data showing age- and diet-related changes.
Where this research is happening
-
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jiang, Xian-Cheng — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Jiang, Xian-Cheng
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Biological aging in early life: how growth and the environment shape telomere length and early heart disease risk
This study follows children from birth to young adulthood to see how aging at the cellular level (telomeres) develops and whether it relates to early signs of heart disease.
-
Role of insulin resistance in smooth muscle cells and metabolic dysfunction driving atherosclerosis
This grant explores how insulin resistance in smooth muscle cells and metabolic problems in Type 2 diabetes contribute to atherosclerosis and dangerous plaque changes.
-
Inflammation resolution in aging and artery disease
This project explores why aging makes atherosclerosis harder to resolve, and tests new therapies that boost the body’s own inflammation-resolving signals to help prevent heart disease.
-
How age-related immune changes affect belly fat and insulin resistance
Researchers are exploring whether changes in specific immune cells that come with middle age make belly fat burn less energy and lead to insulin resistance.
-
Early-aging conditions and their link to artery disease
This project looks for ways to stop early-aging from radiation or progeria from causing artery blockage and heart disease in cancer survivors and people with progeria.
-
Understanding how diabetes affects artery hardening
This project aims to understand how insulin resistance and other metabolic issues in people with type 2 diabetes make artery hardening worse.
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.