Summary

This National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Cardiovascular Diseases Research project grant (CFDA 93.837) awarded $866,279 to Boston Children's Hospital, with performance in Boston, MA, supports research investigating coordinated protein synthesis and degradation mechanisms during neonatal heart regeneration. The research will generate scientific insights into how neonatal cardiomyocytes maintain protein homeostasis and rapidly adapt to ischemic injury—a regenerative capacity absent in adult hearts. Primary deliverables include characterization of the mTORC1-NRF1 regulatory axis that coordinates protein synthesis and proteasomal degradation, mechanistic understanding of how these processes support cardiac self-renewal following myocardial infarction, and experimental validation of pathways that could inform therapeutic strategies for adult heart repair. The award period extends from May 15, 2026 through January 31, 2031.

The project advances NHLBI's mission to reduce morbidity and mortality from heart disease through basic and translational research. Research outputs will include peer-reviewed publications detailing molecular mechanisms of cardiac regeneration, characterization of proteasomal gene regulation by NRF1, and identification of novel therapeutic targets for promoting cardiac repair. These discoveries are expected to provide critical foundational knowledge for developing interventions to restore regenerative capacity in adult hearts following ischemic injury.