Understanding Immune Differences in Viral Heart Inflammation Between Children and Adults
Official title: Elucidating the innate and adaptive immune mechanism differences during viral myocarditis between pediatric and adult populations: role of sex, age and hormone status
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11141258 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the body's defense system reacts differently to viral heart inflammation in children compared to adults, hoping to find better ways to help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | July 18, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $187,515 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI180863-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141258 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with viral myocarditis, both children and adults, who have provided blood samples and clinical data, are central to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have viral myocarditis or are not part of the patient sample collection would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Viral myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, can be a serious condition for children and young adults. This project aims to understand why children and adults respond differently to this illness, focusing on their immune systems. We believe that younger patients might have a stronger immune response that affects how severe their myocarditis becomes. To explore this, we will examine blood samples and health information from both children and adults with myocarditis. We will also use animal models to see how age and hormones influence the immune system's reaction to the virus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to predict disease severity and develop more effective, age-specific treatments for viral myocarditis in both children and adults.
How similar studies have gone: While adult myocarditis models have shown immune involvement, this project is novel in creating and using pediatric viral myocarditis models and directly comparing immune responses across age groups.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bruno, Katelyn Ann — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Bruno, Katelyn Ann
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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.