# CCDC92 and cardiovascular disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2024 · $528,441

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Among patients with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of their mortality.
Reducing CVD risk is a critical clinical goal for treating diabetic patients. Diabetes exacerbates atherosclerosis
development and progression, which is the major cause of many CVD, including heart attacks, strokes, and
peripheral vascular disease. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis
of atherosclerosis throughout all the stages. The genetic relationship between diabetes and CVD provides the
promise for the prevention and treatment of both disorders. Recent genetic studies have demonstrated that the
specific variants at the coiled-coil domain containing 92 (CCDC92) locus are associated with both type 2
diabetes (T2D) and coronary heart disease (CHD). The biological function and detailed mechanisms by which
CCDC92 regulates these diseases, a necessary step towards the ultimate goal of targeting CCDC92, remain
unclear. Our preliminary data demonstrated that Ccdc92 knockout inhibits high-fat diet-induced insulin
resistance and atherosclerosis in mice. We further present extensive preliminary studies showing that CCDC92
induces proatherogenic phenotypes, contributing to atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Here we hypothesize that
VSMC CCDC92 promotes atherosclerosis development and progression by regulating the lysosomal pathway.
By taking advantage of our unique animal models combined with molecular, cellular, histological approaches,
we will define the role of CCDC92 in proatherogenic phenotypes in VSMCs in vitro (Aim 1); Determine the role
of CCDC92 in atherosclerosis under diabetic and euglycemic conditions in vivo (Aim 2). Successful completion
of the proposed study would provide a deep understanding of how CCDC92 elicits atherosclerosis and will
likely set a profound foundation to define CCDC92 as a novel therapeutic target to treat atherosclerosis and
diabetes-associated CVD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10753567
- **Project number:** 5R01HL167024-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** Yanbo Fan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $528,441
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-01 → 2025-03-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10753567

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10753567, CCDC92 and cardiovascular disease (5R01HL167024-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10753567. Licensed CC0.

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