Tiny calcium signals near heart cell nuclei and dangerous heart enlargement
Perinuclear Ryanodine Receptors and Cardiac Remodeling
This work looks at whether small calcium-release channels next to heart-cell nuclei drive the gene changes that cause harmful heart enlargement, which matters for people with heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Farmington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11124036 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your point of view, researchers are trying to understand how a cluster of proteins near the nucleus of heart muscle cells makes local calcium signals that turn on genes linked to pathological heart enlargement. They focus on the ryanodine receptor (RyR2) in the mAKAPβ protein complex and will test whether this perinuclear RyR2 pool is separate from the channels that control normal heartbeat contractions. In the lab they will manipulate these proteins in heart cells and animal models, measure local calcium transients, and track downstream gene activity. The aim is to find molecular targets that could block the harmful gene program without disrupting normal heart function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This line of research is most relevant to people who have or are at risk for pathological cardiac hypertrophy or early-stage heart failure.
Not a fit: People without heart muscle disease or those needing immediate clinical interventions may not see direct benefit from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to treatments that stop or reverse dangerous heart enlargement without harming normal heart contractions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory work supports roles for mAKAPβ and calcineurin in hypertrophy, but targeting perinuclear RyR2 as a separate signaling pool is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Farmington, United States
- University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt — Farmington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dodge-Kafka, Kimberly L — University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
- Study coordinator: Dodge-Kafka, Kimberly L
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.