How the right side of the heart works in health and long-term lung or heart disease
Official title: Right Heart Function in Health and Chronic Disease
Funded at Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco · NIH-11213975 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if stimulating a specific heart receptor can improve right-sided heart function for people with pulmonary hypertension or right heart failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2011 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX000740-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11213975 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular failure, including some patients with COPD-related or heart-related right-sided heart dysfunction, would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose problems are mainly left-sided heart failure or unrelated conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from findings focused on right ventricular dysfunction.
What this research studies
Researchers use animal models that mimic pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure and give a drug that specifically activates the α1A-adrenergic receptor for a period of weeks. They measure right heart pumping, energy production in heart cells (mitochondrial function), and levels of ATP that fuel contraction. The team also tests effects on human engineered heart tissue grown in the lab to see if the drug improves mitochondrial activity and contraction in human-derived tissue. Findings aim to link receptor activation to restored energy function and improved right-heart performance, guiding future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to new treatments that boost right ventricular energy and function, helping people with pulmonary hypertension or right-sided heart failure breathe better and avoid hospital stays.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies from this group and others have shown promising reversal of right ventricular failure and improved mitochondrial function with α1A agonists, while work in human tissue is more limited and translational.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baker, Anthony J. — Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Baker, Anthony J.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Genomic risk tools to guide chronic disease care in adults
A program uses genetic risk scores along with health history to tailor prevention and early care for adults with chronic diseases.
-
How Economic Tough Times Affect Health Habits in Older Adults with HIV
This study looks at how living with limited money changes how older adults with HIV take medicines and use preventive health services.
-
Comprehensive food testing to prevent illness and protect health
This grant funds a program to test foods for dangerous chemicals and microbes to help keep people healthy and reduce chronic disease linked to food exposure.
-
Understanding how multiple health problems cluster in aging people with HIV
This grant looks at how social factors and multiple health conditions come together to affect aging in people living with HIV.
-
Arctic Ground Squirrels as a Model to Discover Treatments for Metabolic Diseases
Researchers are creating a new animal model using Arctic ground squirrels to uncover natural metabolic tricks that could lead to therapies for human conditions like diabetes and muscle wasting.
-
Real-time sensor network to track inflammatory cytokines in chronic illness
This project develops tiny injectable sensors that continuously track inflammatory proteins to better understand and eventually help manage chronic conditions like autoimmune disease, cancer, and heart disease.
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.