Sex differences in how heart mitochondria react to inflammation
Sex-related differences in cardiac mitochondrial response to inflammation
This project looks at why men's and women's heart-cell mitochondria respond differently to sudden inflammation that can harm the heart after sepsis, trauma, or a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11232310 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will compare male and female hearts using laboratory models to see how inflammation (using signals like TNFα or LPS and a CLP mouse model) changes mitochondrial function and overall heart performance. They will study mitochondrial proteins (mitoCx43, the Gja1-20k isoform, and mitoCav3) and phosphorylation patterns that may explain female resistance to inflammation-induced dysfunction. The team will test how estrogen and targeted changes to these mitochondrial proteins influence resilience to acute inflammatory injury. Findings will come from experiments in mice and isolated heart cells at Indiana University and could guide future patient-focused trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have experienced sepsis, severe infection, major trauma, or recent myocardial ischemia would be most relevant to the questions this research addresses.
Not a fit: Patients whose heart problems are chronic or due to non-inflammatory structural causes may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to sex-specific ways to protect heart mitochondria and reduce cardiac damage after sepsis, trauma, or heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research supports a protective role for mitochondrial Cx43 and caveolin-3 in ischemia, but applying these mechanisms to sex differences in inflammation-related heart injury is a newer and less-tested area.
Where this research is happening
Indianapolis, United States
- Indiana University Indianapolis — Indianapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Meijing — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Wang, Meijing
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.