T Lymphopenia After a Heart Attack: Could Restoring T Cells Help Your Heart Heal
Official title: T Lymphopenia in Ischemic Heart Failure
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11550873 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at the University of South Florida aims to understand why certain immune cells called CD4+ T cells drop after a heart attack and whether boosting them could improve heart recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $83,700 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL164446-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11550873 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction and are at risk for or developing heart failure.
✕Less likely to help
This study is conducted in animals to understand mechanisms, so direct benefit to patients during the study may be limited.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse model of heart failure after a heart attack to explore how T lymphocytes move from the blood to the bone marrow and how their development might be impaired. The researchers will test whether preventing CD4+ T-cell loss could support better healing of heart tissue after an infarction. By uncovering the mechanisms behind T lymphopenia, they hope to identify potential therapeutic targets to improve long-term outcomes for patients who have had a heart attack.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies that support immune healing after a heart attack and reduce future heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data in animals suggest a link between T-cell dynamics and heart repair, but translating this to humans remains a key challenge.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Yonggang — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Ma, Yonggang
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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.