Federal Project Grant Award Summary

New York Institute of Technology received a $573,750 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective July 15, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2029. The award funds research investigating the role of long noncoding RNA-PTPRE (lncRNA-PTPRE) in cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, particularly in the context of thyroid hormone (TH) signaling pathways. The research aims to elucidate molecular and functional connections between cardiac lncRNAs and TH-mediated cardiac protection, with preliminary findings indicating that lncRNA-PTPRE expression is impaired in hypothyroid hearts and in hearts experiencing infarction-associated dysfunction, and that thyroid hormone supplementation restores expression levels.

The project deliverables encompass basic translational research services designed to advance mechanistic understanding of a novel cardiac protective pathway. Specifically, the work will characterize the molecular interactions between lncRNA-PTPRE and the thyroid hormone signaling axis, investigate potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of this lncRNA in cardiac tissue, and establish pathophysiological connections between lncRNA dysregulation and cardiac dysfunction. This research contributes to NHLBI's broader portfolio in hypothesis-driven cardiovascular science and addresses the significant clinical challenge of managing cardiac dysfunction in ischemic heart disease through identification of heart-specific therapeutic targets.