How tiny ion channel clusters and heart-cell connections shape electrical signals
Distinct Ion Channel Pools and Intercalated Disk Nanoscale Structure Regulate Cardiac Conduction
Looks at how tiny protein groups and the connections between heart cells affect heart rhythms to help people with arrhythmias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264852 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use powerful light and electron microscopes to map how ion channels and structural proteins are arranged at the tiny cell-cell junctions in the heart. They will quantify those nanoscale patterns in healthy and disease-related samples and then build detailed computer models that use the measurements to simulate electrical conduction. By linking structural changes to conduction problems, the team aims to explain how disruptions at the intercalated disk lead to arrhythmias. The work focuses on known cardiac ion channels like NaV1.5, Kir2.1, and Cav1.2 and how their local organization influences heartbeat stability.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Most relevant are people with clinical arrhythmias or patients who can donate heart tissue during cardiac surgery for research.
Not a fit: People without heart rhythm problems or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic and modeling-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal new structural markers and targets that help predict, prevent, or treat dangerous heart rhythm problems.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have identified disrupted channel organization in patients, but this is the first comprehensive nanoscale mapping combined with computational modeling.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weinberg, Seth Howard — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Weinberg, Seth Howard
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.