Stimulating blood-vessel signaling to protect kidneys and brain during heart surgery
Official title: The effects of soluble guanylyl cyclase stimulation on perioperative vascular reactivity and organ injury in cardiac surgery trial
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11141591 · Data updated 2026-11-12
People having heart surgery will receive a medicine that boosts blood-vessel signaling to try to reduce kidney injury and delirium.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $457,557 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164909-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141591 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults scheduled for cardiac surgery (for example, bypass or valve operations) who meet the study's medical and consent criteria would be the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People not having cardiac surgery, those with contraindications to the study drug, or those with advanced end-stage organ failure are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
If I join, I'll be randomly assigned to get either a drug that stimulates soluble guanylyl cyclase or a placebo around the time of my cardiac surgery. Doctors will measure how my blood vessels respond during and after the operation and will monitor for kidney problems and brain issues like delirium. They will also collect blood samples and clinical data to look for markers of organ injury and inflammation. The team will compare outcomes between groups to see whether boosting this pathway helps protect organs after surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower the risk of acute kidney injury and postoperative delirium by improving blood flow regulation during and after heart surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Drugs that stimulate this signaling pathway are approved for other diseases like pulmonary hypertension, but using them to prevent organ injury after cardiac surgery is a newer approach with limited clinical evidence to date.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lopez, Marcos G — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Lopez, Marcos G
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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.