Why the tricuspid valve becomes damaged and how treatments might help
Official title: Tricuspid Valve Maladaptation: Its Stimuli, its Effect on Valve Function, and its Response to Therapy
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11403646 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how the tricuspid valve changes in people with leaking tricuspid valves and whether targeting those changes can improve treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | June 20, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $93,779 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL165251-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403646 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with functional tricuspid regurgitation caused by right ventricular remodeling or pulmonary hypertension would be the main candidates for the eventual clinical applications of this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tricuspid problems are due to infection, congenital malformation, or who already have definitive surgical repair may not benefit from these specific therapies.
What this research studies
If you have tricuspid valve leakage, the team is studying how the valve leaflets grow and become stiff or fibrotic as the right heart changes. They combine detailed imaging, computer simulations, and lab models (including prior large-animal work) to map the mechanical and biological triggers of valve maladaptation. The researchers will test whether specific therapies can stop or reverse leaflet fibrosis and maladaptive growth. Their goal is to find treatment approaches that reduce recurrence after repair and lower the need for high-risk re-operations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent or reverse valve damage, improving outcomes and reducing the need for risky repeat surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies by the team showed tricuspid leaflet growth and fibrosis, but translating fibrosis-targeting treatments to human FTR remains largely novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rausch, Manuel Karl — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Rausch, Manuel Karl
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.