How the protein CILP1 affects heart healing after injury
Role of Cilp1 in Post-Natal Heart Response to Injury
Researchers are looking at whether changing levels of the protein CILP1 can help adult hearts heal better after a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11092285 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on a protein called CILP1 that rises in scarred hearts after injury. Scientists used tissue analyses and created mice that either lack CILP1 or overproduce it in heart fibroblast cells to see how hearts remodel after a heart attack. They also built mice with tamoxifen‑controlled, fibroblast‑specific deletion of CILP1 to study timing and cell‑type effects. Early results show removing CILP1 reduces harmful remodeling while overexpressing it worsens scarring, and the team is working to understand how fibroblast CILP1 drives inflammation and scar‑forming cell growth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future human studies would be adults who have had a recent heart attack or show evidence of cardiac scarring.
Not a fit: People without heart disease or whose problems are from unrelated conditions (for example congenital heart defects not driven by fibrosis) are unlikely to benefit from this line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to limit scarring and preserve heart function after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Related research on matricellular proteins shows they can influence scarring, but the role of CILP1 in adult heart repair is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Zhi-Ping — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Liu, Zhi-Ping
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.