Project Grant F31HL184832

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded the University of South Carolina $100,228 on December 31, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to conduct research on the mechanistic pathways linking hypertension, autoimmunity, and chronic psychological stress.

The research tests whether chronic stress exacerbates immune system activation and hypertension in a female hypertensive mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (NZBWF1). The investigator's preliminary data demonstrate that subjecting healthy female mice to a 28-day chronic unpredictable stress protocol increases blood pressure and impairs renal mitochondrial function, and that female NZBWF1 mice with SLE develop hypertension associated with renal mitochondrial dysfunction and autoantibodies to mitochondrial antigens. The central hypothesis is that chronic stress will exacerbate renal mitochondrial dysfunction during SLE, leading to accelerated development of renal disease and hypertension. The work addresses a gap in understanding how chronic stress affects immune activation in patients with autoimmune disorders who have prevalent hypertension.

Performance occurs at Columbia, South Carolina. The award period runs from December 31, 2026, through December 30, 2027. The assistance type is a project grant, a competitive research training award funding basic and translational research in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.