Peroxisomes as modulatory units in heart metabolism and heart failure (A10)

• Subject Area: Cardiology, Angiology
• Term: from 2016 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 193793266

In A10, we discovered that peroxisomes are essential for cardiac function. We found that peroxisomes are altered in heart failure (HF) in mice and in humans. We established a novel mouse model with cardiac-specific knockout of peroxisome function and observed that lack of functional peroxisomes in the heart leads to severe dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure. The cellular HF phenotype is associated with drastic alterations in lipid metabolism, lipid storage, and mitochondrial morphology. We aim to decipher the molecular mechanisms that link peroxisome metabolic function to heart function and HF.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1002: Modulatory Units in Heart Failure
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Sven Thoms