# T-cell regulation of cardiac remodeling

> **NIH VA IK2** · RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Veterans have 2-times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to non-veterans. For
veterans who have a heart attacked (myocardial infarction; MI), 1 in 3 will not survive 1 year after the
event compared to 1 in 10 in the general population. The goal of my project is to understand how the
wound healing response after MI can promote the development of heart failure. My focus is the innate
immune response, specifically the role of CD8+ T-cells. My central hypothesis is that CD8+ effector T-
cells regulate PMN physiology through MMP-9 to induce adverse remodeling post-MI. Aim 1 will
determine the role of CD8+ T-cells on the neutrophil physiology using cellular proteomics coupled with
ex vivo experiments. Aim 2 will determine the role CD8+ T-cells in vivo focusing on how CD8+ T-cell
effector subtypes and the secretion of MMP-9 effect long term cardiac function and survival post-MI. This
is the first proposal to integrate multidisciplinary approaches to evaluate CD8+ T-cells in the MI setting.
This study will add to our understanding of critical mechanisms underlying adverse effects of the adaptive
immune response and wound healing after MI. The proposed study aligns with the mission of the VA
Healthcare System by providing molecular knowledge to clinical practices so that the VA Healthcare
System can continue to provide exceptional health care that improves Veteran health and well-being.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9931119
- **Project number:** 5IK2BX003922-04
- **Recipient organization:** RALPH H JOHNSON VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristine Y DeLeon-Pennell
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9931119

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9931119, T-cell regulation of cardiac remodeling (5IK2BX003922-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9931119. Licensed CC0.

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