Small RNAs helping heart repair after a heart attack
Role of small RNAs in ischemic tissue repair
['FUNDING_R01'] · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · NIH-11176323
Researchers aim to boost a tiny RNA in the heart to help damaged hearts grow new blood vessels and recover after a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11176323 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team will use a mouse model of heart attack to see if increasing a specific small RNA (scaRNA18) improves healing. They plan to deliver this RNA to the heart using a harmless viral carrier (AAV9) and then measure blood vessel growth, cell survival, scar size, and overall heart pumping. The scientists will also study molecular changes in the heart’s RNA splicing machinery and how scaRNA18 affects a repair-related gene called WT1. Findings in mice could point toward new therapies to help human hearts recover after ischemic injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who recently had a myocardial infarction and are interested in therapies to enhance heart repair would be the most relevant candidates for eventual clinical translation.
Not a fit: Patients with non-ischemic heart conditions, remote/chronic heart failure unrelated to a recent heart attack, or those ineligible for gene-delivery approaches may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that improve blood vessel growth, reduce scarring, and strengthen heart function after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Heart-directed gene delivery with AAV9 has shown promise in other preclinical and some clinical settings, but using scaRNA18 to drive post-heart-attack repair is a novel and mostly untested idea.
Where this research is happening
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES
- TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH — PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GARIKIPATI, VENKATA NAGA SRIKANTH — TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- Study coordinator: GARIKIPATI, VENKATA NAGA SRIKANTH
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.