The race to prevent heart failure and death after a heart attack is one of the toughest challenges in medicine. Previous studies have indicated that a specific cell receptor, known as low-density lipoprotein receptor 1, may protect the heart from damage caused by restored blood flow after a cardiac event. But researchers don’t yet understand LRP1’s protective capabilities or how it affects different types of cells.
Jeff Saucerman, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science and School of Medicine, was awarded a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes for Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study how this cell receptor may impact heart failure and heart attack treatments.
Saucerman will combine computational models, cell-based experiments and mouse models to better understand how LRP1 may be leveraged in targeted treatment.
“This research has the potential to change how we approach heart attack treatment,” said Saucerman. “Ultimately, we hope our findings will help clinicians deliver more personalized and effective therapies that improve long-term outcomes for heart attack patients.
Saucerman will serve as co-PI along with two additional School of Medicine faculty, cardiologist and professor Dr. Antonio Abbate and associate professor of medicine Stefano Toldo.