Turning scar-forming heart cells into working heart muscle
Altering Cardiac Cell Fate for Heart Repair
Testing a way to convert scar-making cells in the heart into working heart muscle for people who have heart damage from heart attacks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231248 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I would be part of work that aims to reprogram the heart's scar-forming cells (fibroblasts) into functional heart muscle cells by delivering key developmental genes. The team uses mouse heart-attack models and human heart cells in the lab to find gene combinations and delivery methods that produce induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs) that beat and connect with normal heart tissue. They study the molecular switches that enable reprogramming and test whether the new cells reduce scar size and improve heart pumping in animals. If those steps continue to succeed, the researchers plan to move toward ways to deliver the therapy safely for people with heart failure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people who have lost heart muscle after a heart attack and have scarred areas of the heart that contribute to heart failure.
Not a fit: People whose heart failure is driven primarily by non‑ischemic causes (for example severe valve disease, primary electrical disorders, or some inherited cardiomyopathies) may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could regenerate lost heart muscle and shrink scar tissue, improving heart function and reducing heart-failure symptoms.
How similar studies have performed: Related work has successfully converted fibroblasts into functioning heart cells in mice and produced promising results in human cells in the lab, but this approach is not yet an established clinical therapy.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qian, Li — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Qian, Li
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.