Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded New York Institute of Technology $573,750 under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) on July 15, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2029. This project grant funds research to redefine the role of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how doxorubicin, a powerful cancer treatment drug, causes heart failure through lysosomal dysfunction rather than through previously studied mechanisms of cell death. The study emphasizes the degradation of the lysosomal luminal environment and the dysfunction of cathepsin D (CTSD), a key enzyme responsible for maintaining cardiac homeostasis.

The project delivers basic research services aimed at identifying novel therapeutic interventions to protect cardiac function. Specifically, the research will utilize novel tools such as an LMP reporter and lyso-TAG system to evaluate how lysosomal membrane integrity affects doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury, and will test protective interventions including imidazoline drugs, APOM, and SMURF1. The findings are intended to establish whether heightened LMP and functional insufficiency of CTSD directly cause cardiac dysfunction, thereby providing a mechanistic foundation for developing cardioprotective strategies in cancer patients undergoing doxorubicin therapy. The award is based at NYIT's Westbury, New York campus.