How stress reshapes the immune system and affects heart health
Multimodal profiling of stress-induced immune reprogramming in cardiovascular patients
['FUNDING_P01'] · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · NIH-11137009
This project looks at how emotional and chronic stress reshapes the immune system and raises heart disease risk in people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease using brain and body scans, blood tests, genetics, and lifestyle information.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_P01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11137009 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will use combined brain and heart PET/MR scans (including 18F-FDG imaging), blood tests to profile immune cells and inflammation, and genetic and lifestyle questionnaires to map how stress affects your body. They will compare people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and those with varying levels of psychosocial stress, including PTSD, and may include controlled stress challenges. Data from imaging, immune profiling, and genomics will be integrated to identify biological pathways linking neural stress responses to immune changes and plaque progression. The goal is to find measurable markers that could predict who is most at risk and guide targeted interventions to lower stress-related cardiovascular risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or high cardiovascular risk who experience chronic psychosocial stress or related conditions such as PTSD and are willing to undergo imaging and blood testing.
Not a fit: People without cardiovascular disease or chronic stress, children, pregnant people, or anyone unable or unwilling to have PET/MR scans or blood draws are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify patients whose stress drives heart disease and point to new prevention or treatment approaches that target the brain–immune pathway.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work, including the team's earlier program, has shown links between stress, brain activity, immune changes, and cardiovascular risk, but combining PET/MR imaging with deep immune and genetic profiling is a relatively new and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI — NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: FAYAD, ZAHI A. — ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- Study coordinator: FAYAD, ZAHI A.
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.
Conditions: Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease