Federal Grant Award Summary

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans received a $1,008,719 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective April 6, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2033. The award funds basic and translational research focused on screening and validating microRNA (miRNA) targets for neurogenic hypertension, a condition that is difficult to treat and contributes significantly to resistant hypertension in patient populations. The research builds on the institution's two decades of prior work investigating the brain renin-angiotensin system and aims to advance understanding of regulatory mechanisms affecting angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) compensatory activity, including post-translational modifications and protein degradation pathways mediated by E3 ligases in GABAergic neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

The project will generate scientific outputs expected to include detailed characterization of miRNA regulatory networks controlling ACE2 and related compensatory mechanisms in neurogenic hypertension models, identification of novel therapeutic targets for treating resistant hypertension, and mechanistic insights into central nervous system regulation of sympathetic outflow. Research findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and may inform the development of future therapeutic interventions to improve blood pressure control in patients with neurogenic and resistant hypertension.