Understanding how a specific growth factor helps heart healing after a heart attack
Official title: Investigating the role of myeloid-derived growth factor in opposing neutrophil mechanical activation to regulate cardiac healing in the context of myocardial infarction
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-10902672 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a special protein called MYDGF helps the heart heal after a heart attack by understanding how certain immune cells, called neutrophils, react to signals during recovery, which could lead to new ways to help your heart recover better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $40,013 |
| NIH project number | 1F30HL174128-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10902672 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have recently experienced a myocardial infarction and are at risk for complications such as heart failure or stroke.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced a myocardial infarction or those with chronic heart conditions unrelated to acute cardiac events may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF) in the healing process of the heart following a myocardial infarction (heart attack). It focuses on how neutrophils, a type of immune cell, respond to mechanical and chemical signals during recovery. By using advanced microfluidic technology and genetically modified neutrophils, the study aims to uncover the mechanisms by which MYDGF influences neutrophil behavior and cardiac repair. This could lead to new therapeutic strategies for improving heart recovery after a heart attack.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments that enhance heart healing and reduce complications after a heart attack.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding the role of immune cells in cardiac healing, but this specific approach using MYDGF is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schrope, Jon — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Schrope, Jon
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Anti-inflammatory signaling of a key protein in heart attack recovery
A study in people who have had a heart attack is exploring how a macrophage protein called Tristetraprolin may reduce inflammation and help protect heart tissue.
-
Targeting RIPK3 to reduce heart damage after a heart attack
This grant studies a specific cell-death pathway (RIPK3) to protect the heart after a heart attack, with the goal of reducing damage and improving recovery.
-
mRNA lipid nanoparticles to help heart attack patients grow healthier blood vessels
A heart-attack study tests a new treatment that uses messenger RNA delivery with tiny fat bubbles to promote normal blood vessel growth in damaged heart tissue.
-
Targeted nanotherapy to calm inflammation, grow new blood vessels, and prevent scarring after a heart attack
A new treatment approach uses engineered secretions from immune cells delivered early after a heart attack to reduce inflammation, promote blood vessel growth, and limit scarring to protect heart function.
-
Why heart attacks and strokes affect people differently across places and races
This project follows adults across the U.S. to see how lifelong social and neighborhood factors shape heart attacks, heart failure, and recovery, with attention to Black adults and regions with high disease rates.
-
Real-time multi-lead ECG from wearables to help detect heart attacks early
A new AI-based approach uses everyday wearable sensors to turn simple PPG signals into multi-lead ECG data to monitor for heart attacks in real time, even outside the clinic.
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.