Improving heart cell maturity to enhance cardiac regeneration

Metabolic and Transcriptional Reprogramming of Cardiac Maturation

NIH-funded research University of Southern California · NIH-11233799

This study is working on making heart cells grown from stem cells more mature so they can help fix heart problems without causing irregular heartbeats, and it's aimed at finding better treatments for people with heart issues.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Southern California NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11233799 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on advancing cardiac regeneration by improving the maturity of heart cells derived from pluripotent stem cells. The team has previously demonstrated success in restoring heart function in macaque monkeys by transplanting these cells, but faced challenges with arrhythmias due to the cells' immaturity. The project aims to enhance the maturation of these heart cells through metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming, optimizing various interventions to reduce arrhythmias and improve heart function. Ultimately, the goal is to test these improved cells in porcine hearts to evaluate their effectiveness in a larger animal model.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be individuals with heart damage or heart failure who may benefit from advanced regenerative therapies.

Not a fit: Patients with non-cardiac conditions or those who do not have heart damage may not receive any benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer and more effective therapies for heart regeneration in patients with heart damage.

How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown promise in cardiac regeneration using stem cell-derived heart cells, but this specific approach of metabolic reprogramming is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.