Viral tricks that disrupt heart cell connections in myocarditis
Official title: Viral subversion of intercellular coupling during myocarditis
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11406095 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how a common cold virus (adenovirus) may mess with the heart’s electrical signals and could lead to dangerous arrhythmias in people with myocarditis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $538,404 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL159512-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406095 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with or at risk for myocarditis caused by viral infection could benefit from advances in understanding heart rhythm problems.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without myocarditis or without a viral infection affecting the heart may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
The project explores how active adenoviral infection affects heart muscle cells and their electrical connections, which may set the stage for dangerous heart rhythms before inflammation develops. Researchers will examine gap junctions, especially connexin43, and how they interact with other ion channels and cell junctions during infection. By studying these molecular changes in cardiac tissue, the work aims to reveal why some patients develop rhythm problems and how these processes relate to disease progression. The findings could point to new targets for therapies to protect heart function during viral myocarditis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new ways to prevent or lessen arrhythmias in patients with viral myocarditis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked viral infections to changes in heart cell connections, but this project seeks to clarify mechanisms specific to adenoviral myocarditis.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smyth, James William — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Smyth, James William
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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.