Lipotoxicity and spleen signals in obesity-related heart disease
Official title: Role of Lipotoxicity-Induced Splenic Cell Alternative Splicing in Obesity Cardiomyopathy
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11449393 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in mice explores how fat-related damage in the spleen might affect obesity-driven heart disease and aim to find new ways to help people with obesity cardiomyopathy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $631,413 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL183945-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449393 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with obesity-related cardiovascular concerns or who could contribute human samples in related future studies; however, this grant is conducted in mouse models.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without obesity-related heart disease may not directly benefit from this animal-model study.
What this research studies
This project uses a diet-induced obesity mouse model to study how lipotoxic stress in the spleen influences heart changes seen in obesity cardiomyopathy. It will examine changes in gene splicing, especially Bcl-x isoforms, and how these splenic signals may connect to cardiac fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction. Researchers will use spleen- and heart-specific genetically modified mice and single-cell RNA sequencing to map cellular pathways and test the effects of splenic Bcl-xS knockout on heart pathology. The findings could point to new targets for therapies that protect the heart in people with obesity-related cardiovascular disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal spleen-linked mechanisms and new therapeutic targets to prevent or treat obesity cardiomyopathy.
How similar studies have gone: Similar lipotoxicity and alternative splicing pathways have been observed in liver and pancreas; this study explores a novel spleen-heart connection.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nakamura, Michinari — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Nakamura, Michinari
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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.