The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has awarded a $561,392 project grant (R01HL173677) to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). The grant is focused on investigating the role of RNA methylation, specifically the activation of the METTL3 enzyme, in the progression of cardiac fibrosis and heart failure. The research aims to (1) directly link METTL3 activation to cardiac fibrosis using a transgenic mouse model, (2) elucidate the mechanisms by which METTL3 regulates the stability of the RAPGEF5 mRNA and its impact on beta-catenin-mediated fibrotic signaling, and (3) explore the therapeutic potential of inhibiting METTL3 in a mouse model of pressure overload-induced heart failure. The project will run from March 2025 through December 2028 and aims to advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis, a key driver of heart failure progression.
Generated 4/1/25, 3:42 AM