Investigating how vitamin A metabolism affects heart health and heart failure.
Official title: Retinoid Metabolism in the Adult Heart and Heart Failure
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11059913 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how vitamin A affects heart health, especially how a drop in a certain form of vitamin A might lead to heart problems, and it aims to find new ways to help people with heart failure by understanding and improving how the heart processes this vitamin.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $695,233 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164478-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11059913 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults aged 21 and older who are experiencing heart failure or related cardiac conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with heart failure due to non-metabolic causes or those under 21 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding the role of vitamin A metabolism in heart failure, particularly how a decline in a specific vitamin A metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), may contribute to heart conditions. The study aims to identify the enzymes involved in this metabolism within the adult heart and explore how targeting these enzymes could lead to new therapeutic strategies. By using advanced human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, the researchers will investigate the mechanisms behind ATRA insufficiency and its effects on heart function. This could lead to innovative treatments for heart failure based on improving retinoid metabolism.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapies that improve heart function and outcomes for patients with heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of targeting retinoid metabolism in heart failure is novel, related research has shown promise in understanding vitamin A's role in cardiovascular health.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Foster, D Brian — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Foster, D Brian
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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.