Why some hearts develop left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC)
Novel pathogenesis of LVNC
Researchers will look at how a zinc transporter called ZIP8 affects developing heart cells to better understand LVNC in people and children with this heart condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323527 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or your child has LVNC, this work aims to find why the heart forms too many internal ridges by studying a protein called ZIP8. The team will use mice that lack ZIP8 and laboratory cell experiments to examine how heart endothelial cells and muscle cells interact during development. They will track zinc transport, cell signaling, and heart structure using genetic tools and imaging to see what goes wrong when ZIP8 is missing. The goal is to identify cellular mechanisms that could point to future tests or treatments for LVNC.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with LVNC or those with a family history or genetic variants linked to cardiomyopathy would be the most relevant group for follow-up studies or future trials.
Not a fit: Patients with unrelated heart conditions or structural heart differences not classified as LVNC are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could reveal causes of LVNC and suggest new diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have linked endothelial cell dysfunction to LVNC, but focusing on the ZIP8 zinc transporter as a causal mechanism is a novel direction.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, United States
- Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Deqiang — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Li, Deqiang
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 below.