Grant Title:
Characterizing Metabolic Mechanisms in Congenital Heart Disease Progression
Lay Summary: Babies born with misshapen hearts suffer from congenital heart defects. These defects are among the most serious defects a baby can be born with. New tools are needed to understand how the defect forms. We propose examining the body’s energy production or metabolism in two important groups of cells: cells that line blood vessels and heart muscle cells. The chick animal model will be used to test the response of both cell types to changes in blood flow. Imaging tools will be used to create disturbances and study the cells’ responses. The goal is to use information gained from the chick to better understand how children are born with heart defects. Once we understand how a defect forms, we can design ways to prevent the defect from worsening or to make the defect go away. This study will lead to better treatment of children born with heart malformations.
