Stress-Triggered RNA Breakdown in Heart Disease
Official title: Stress Regulated RNA Degradation in Cardiac Hypertrophy
Funded at University of Cincinnati · NIH-11402033 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aimed at understanding how stress changes the way heart cells break down RNA, to find new ways to prevent or treat heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Cincinnati NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $634,383 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL176487-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402033 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with heart disease or at risk for cardiac hypertrophy, who could participate in future translational studies or trials.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without heart disease may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Heart disease involves changes at the cellular and molecular levels, including how RNA is regulated after it is made. This project studies a specific degradation pathway in heart cells, using mouse models and modern sequencing methods to see how RNA stability shifts during hypertrophy. The team believes that a complex involving Upf1 and RBFox1c controls when certain heart-related RNAs are broken down under stress. Results could reveal new targets to slow or alter disease progression by stabilizing or destabilizing key RNA messages. The study will combine advanced sequencing with animal models to link molecular events to heart function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify new molecular targets to modify RNA stability in the heart and help develop therapies for hypertrophy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that RNA stability can influence disease progression, but this project explores a novel Upf1-RBFox1c mechanism specific to the heart.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gao, Chen — University of Cincinnati
- Study coordinator: Gao, Chen
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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.