Mitochondria, calcium, and muscle cell death in muscular dystrophy
Official title: Mitochondrial Regulation of Calcium Homeostasis and Cell Death in Muscular Dystrophy
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11312628 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are exploring whether changing how mitochondria handle calcium in muscle cells can reduce muscle cell death in people with muscular dystrophy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | March 4, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $224,101 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AR078253-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312628 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with muscular dystrophy, particularly Duchenne-type disease, would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without muscular dystrophy or whose muscle problems are not related to mitochondrial calcium handling are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project uses a commonly used mouse model of muscular dystrophy (mdx) to study how mitochondria control calcium levels and trigger muscle fiber death. Scientists will remove or alter key mitochondrial calcium regulators — the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (Nclx), the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (Mcu), and its regulator Mcub — specifically in muscle cells to see how those changes affect calcium overload and activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). They will measure mitochondrial calcium uptake, rates of myofiber death, and overall muscle pathology to connect molecular changes to tissue damage. Findings are intended to guide future approaches to protect muscle cells in people with muscular dystrophy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect muscle cells and slow muscle loss in muscular dystrophy.
How similar studies have gone: Related studies in heart disease have shown that limiting mitochondrial calcium can prevent MPTP-driven cell death, but applying these strategies to muscular dystrophy models is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bround, Michael — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Bround, Michael
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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.