How the heart's inner lining and muscle communicate during development
Mechanisms of signaling interaction between endocardium and myocardium
This project will look at how the heart's inner lining and heart muscle talk to each other as the heart forms, which could help people with or at risk for left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136412 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists will examine developing hearts in the lab to see how signals pass between the endocardium (inner lining) and myocardium (heart muscle). They will search for tiny bridge-like structures and signaling molecules that might carry messages across the cardiac jelly separating these layers. The team will use advanced imaging and genetic tools in model systems and tissue samples to trace how these signals shape the formation of trabeculae, the sheet-like muscle structures important for early heart function. Understanding these mechanisms could explain why too little or too much trabeculation happens in conditions like LVNC.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with diagnosed LVNC, individuals with a family history of inherited cardiomyopathy, or patients willing to share clinical data or donate tissue samples for research.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatments for heart failure or with unrelated heart conditions are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this basic laboratory research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal causes of LVNC and point to new markers or targets for diagnosis and future therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory studies have found tunneling nanotubes and cytoneme-like structures in cells and flies, but applying these ideas to mammalian heart development and LVNC is largely novel and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Mingfu — University of Houston
- Study coordinator: Wu, Mingfu
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.