Understanding how lactate metabolism affects heart health
Official title: Impact and regulation of lactate metabolism in the heart
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11235415 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the way your heart uses lactate, a substance produced during exercise, can help keep your heart healthy, especially if you have heart failure, and it hopes to find new ways to improve heart function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00HL168312-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11235415 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults with chronic heart failure or related cardiac conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without heart conditions or those under 21 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of lactate metabolism in maintaining heart function, particularly during heart failure. It aims to understand how the balance of lactate production and consumption impacts cardiac health by using advanced techniques like isotope tracers to measure metabolic processes in heart cells. The study will explore how retaining lactate within the heart can potentially mitigate conditions like cardiac hypertrophy and improve overall heart function. By focusing on the pyruvate-lactate axis, the research seeks to provide insights into new therapeutic strategies for heart disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that improve heart health and function in patients with heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding metabolic processes in the heart, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cluntun, Ahmad a — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Cluntun, Ahmad a
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.