Role of fibroblast contractile machinery in heart repair after a heart attack
Official title: The Functional Role of Myofibroblast Contractile Machinery in Cardiac Repair after Myocardial Infarction
Funded at Louisiana State Univ Agricultural Center · NIH-11346713 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how heart fibroblasts’ muscle-like contractions help fix the heart after a heart attack, using mouse models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louisiana State Univ Agricultural Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baton Rouge, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $514,318 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL186178-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11346713 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with or at risk for myocardial infarction or those with repaired hearts, for future translational studies; current work uses mouse models.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not immediate, as this is preclinical mechanistic research in animals.
What this research studies
After a heart attack, heart cells die and scar-forming fibroblasts become cardiac myofibroblasts that help rebuild the tissue. The study will look at how non-muscle myosin II and actin filaments control these cells’ contraction and the surrounding matrix, and how these forces influence gene activity through epigenetic changes. Researchers will use mice with fibroblast-specific deletions to see how losing this contractile machinery affects heart repair and tissue integrity. The work combines genetic models, sequencing approaches, and analyses of cellular behavior to understand CMF function during healing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify new targets to improve heart repair and reduce adverse scarring after heart attacks.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest CMF contraction influences heart repair, but this project extends understanding through genetic and epigenetic analyses in a disease-relevant model.
Where this research is happening
-
Louisiana State Univ Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fu, Xing — Louisiana State Univ Agricultural Center
- Study coordinator: Fu, Xing
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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.