Understanding Peroxisome Loss in Heart Failure
Official title: Mechanistic Understanding of Hypoxia-Induced Peroxisome loss: Implications for Heart Failure
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11129845 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how low oxygen levels contribute to heart failure by affecting tiny cell parts called peroxisomes, hoping to find new ways to help hearts work better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HL163396-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129845 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with heart failure, particularly those with ischemic cardiomyopathy, could potentially benefit from future therapies developed from this foundational understanding.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by heart failure or those whose condition is unrelated to the mechanisms of energy use and oxygen deprivation would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Heart failure often involves the heart struggling to use fats for energy, especially when oxygen levels are low, a condition called hypoxia. We've found that a key regulator of the body's response to low oxygen, HIFa, causes the loss of important cell components called peroxisomes. Our work aims to uncover exactly how a newly identified protein, DEPP1, causes this peroxisome loss. We will also investigate how preventing this loss might protect heart cells and test these findings in animal models of heart failure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that help the heart use energy more efficiently and prevent damage in patients with heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: This research builds upon existing knowledge of heart failure and metabolism, but introduces a novel mechanism involving DEPP1 and peroxisome loss.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wyant, Greg — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wyant, Greg
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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.