Ajit Vikram, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, received his first R01, a five-year, $2.5M award from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This project seeks to unveil how microbes in our gut influence heart health, especially under conditions that increase the heart’s workload.

Conditions such as hypertension and aortic stenosis that have a significant and continued impact on the cardiac workload lead to compensatory heart enlargement and heart failure. The microbes in our gut determine how efficiently our heart handles the increased workload. However, our knowledge of the interaction between the gut microbiome and heart health is inadequate, preventing us from leveraging it to mitigate heart failure.

Since 2017, Vikram’s lab has been exploring how the gut’s microbial composition, altered through antibiotic use, can protect against heart disease. Their pioneering work has led to identifying a specific microbial adjustment that shields the heart from the damaging effects of overwork, a condition known as pathological heart enlargement. A critical discovery from their recent studies is the role of a gut microbiota-regulated microRNA named miR-204, which is crucial in mediating the heart’s response to stress. With the support of this new grant, Vikram and his team will employ genetically engineered mice and specially designed molecules to delve deeper into the mechanisms by which gut microbes affect heart function. They aim to unravel how much these microbial effects rely on miR-204.

This multidisciplinary research will integrate microbial changes, metagenomics, metabolomics, immune system alterations, and the study of microRNAs to inch closer to identifying potential therapeutic targets for heart failure. The project promises to explore an innovative link between gut bacteria, their metabolites, and cardiac health, potentially unlocking new treatments for heart failure.

Vikram expressed his gratitude on the success of this grant submission to Kaikobad Irani,MD; Ravinder Gaddam, PhD; and an innovative departmental grant review workshop organized by Vice Chair for Research Chad Grueter, PhD. “Their feedback was invaluable,” Vikram said, “and it significantly contributed to the development of this project.” He promises updates on this “exciting venture that bridges the gap between gut microbes and the heart.”