Proteostasis and aging: how SMYD enzymes help keep proteins in check
Official title: Function of SMYD lysine methyltransferases in stress responses and proteostasis
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore County · NIH-11392314 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist-led project in aging research is studying how a family of enzymes (SMYDs) help maintain healthy proteins in heart-related cells, especially as we age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore County NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $308,992 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM148698-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392314 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for aging-related heart diseases who may benefit from advances in proteostasis-based therapies in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without aging-related heart conditions or related risk factors may be less likely to benefit from this basic science toward clinical applications.
What this research studies
This project explores how a specific yeast enzyme family, SMYD, controls the stability and folding of proteins that are important for heart cell function. Researchers will map which proteins are tagged by SMYDs and how this tagging affects aging and cellular stress responses. The work uses yeast and may extend to related human biology to understand proteostasis in aging-related heart diseases. The findings could reveal new angles for preserving heart cell health as people get older.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify new targets to boost protein quality control in heart cells as people age, potentially slowing aging-related heart decline.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that proteostasis pathways influence aging and heart cell resilience, supporting the relevance of this approach but the exact SMYD regulatory roles are still being clarified.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Green, Erin — University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Study coordinator: Green, Erin
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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.