Klf2/4 and mechanical signals in heart fibroblasts
Official title: Klf2/4 and mechanical signaling in cardiac fibroblasts
Funded at Drexel University · NIH-11386505 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in adult humans and mouse models will explore how heart fibroblasts sense pressure changes and how this affects heart stiffness and scarring.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Drexel University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $165,366 |
| NIH project number | 5K08HL171841-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386505 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with congestive heart disease or at risk of heart failure, particularly those with conditions affecting cardiac fibroblasts and ECM remodeling.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without heart disease are unlikely to directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how heart fibroblasts respond to mechanical stress and how this influences heart tissue remodeling. It uses mouse models with different heart loading conditions to study Klf2 and Klf4 behavior in fibroblasts and what happens when these factors are missing. The goal is to understand mechanisms that lead to fibrosis and heart failure, with the hope of guiding new therapies. The work may eventually inform patients about how their heart tissue responds to stress and how to prevent worsening scarring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could lead to new strategies to prevent or reverse heart fibrosis and improve heart function in patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows Klf2/4 influence fibroblast behavior and heart remodeling in animal models, supporting potential relevance to humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Drexel University
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dominguez, Martin Hoeller — Drexel University
- Study coordinator: Dominguez, Martin Hoeller
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.