Understanding how heart cells manage signals for better heart health
Official title: Regulation of compartmentalized cAMP signaling by mitochondria-associated spaces in adult ventricular myocytes
Funded at University of Nevada Reno · NIH-11127593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how heart cells organize their internal signals, called cAMP, to control heart function and prevent conditions like arrhythmias and heart failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Reno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Reno, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $462,014 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL161122-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research focuses on the basic biology of heart cells and is not directly recruiting patients at this stage, but future applications may benefit individuals with cardiac arrhythmias, hypertrophy, or heart failure.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cardiovascular diseases related to cAMP signaling dysregulation would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Our heart cells use a special signaling molecule called cAMP to carry out different tasks, but sometimes this signaling can go wrong, leading to heart problems. This project aims to understand how heart cells keep these cAMP signals organized in separate areas, which is crucial for healthy heart function. We are looking into how tiny spaces around mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, might act as barriers to help control where cAMP goes. By uncovering these mechanisms, we hope to find new ways to address heart conditions caused by disorganized cell signaling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments for cardiovascular diseases like arrhythmias, hypertrophy, and heart failure by targeting the way heart cells manage their internal signals.
How similar studies have gone: Previous mathematical and experimental studies have suggested that cAMP mobility and physical barriers within cells are important, but this project offers a novel focus on mitochondria-associated spaces.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Reno
Reno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Agarwal, Shailesh — University of Nevada Reno
- Study coordinator: Agarwal, Shailesh
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.