Neddylation and mitochondrial cleanup in aging hearts
Neddylation and mitophagy in cardiac aging
This work is seeing whether blocking neddylation can boost the removal of damaged mitochondria to help heart health in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323983 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use a fluorescent mitophagy reporter (mt-Keima) and high-content imaging to find compounds that increase the clearance of damaged mitochondria. They identified MLN4924, a drug that inhibits neddylation, and are studying how it blocks neddylation of Cullin2 in the CRL2VHL protein complex. Lab experiments will test how boosting mitophagy affects heart cells and aging hearts in model systems and explore safer, more specific ways to trigger this pathway. The goal is to move promising leads toward interventions that could preserve heart function as people age.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be older adults experiencing age-related heart decline or people interested in donating tissue or samples for research on heart aging.
Not a fit: Younger people without signs of cardiac aging or patients whose heart problems are unrelated to mitochondrial damage are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new treatments that improve mitochondrial quality and protect older adults' hearts from age-related decline.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and animal studies indicate that boosting mitophagy can extend lifespan and improve heart function, but benefits in humans are still unproven.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Nuo — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Sun, Nuo
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 below.