PhD project Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited heart disease that can lead to severe symptoms and sudden cardiac death. This project investigates how changes in the heart’s extracellular matrix, particularly the molecule hyaluronan, contribute to enlargement of heart muscle cells. By uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind disease progression, the research aims to identify new pathways that could support future treatments for HCM.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is primarily caused by genetic mutations, but the mechanisms driving disease progression remain poorly understood. This project focuses on hyaluronan, a major component of the heart’s extracellular matrix that accumulates in areas where heart muscle cells become enlarged. By combining spatial gene expression analyses with cellular studies, the researchers will investigate how hyaluronan influences cardiomyocyte growth and contributes to the development of HCM.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited heart disease and an important cause of sudden cardiac death. Previous research has shown that tissue from HCM hearts contains increased amounts of hyaluronan, a molecule in the extracellular matrix that may influence the growth and function of heart muscle cells. However, its role in disease development is still not fully understood. [NHF_2026_f...plan_AnnaS | PDF]
The project aims to clarify the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which hyaluronan contributes to the progression of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in HCM.
The project has two main objectives:
The researchers will combine spatial transcriptomics, which maps gene activity within specific areas of heart tissue, with laboratory studies of cultured heart cells and fibroblasts. This approach will make it possible to examine both tissue-level and cellular mechanisms involved in cardiac hypertrophy.
The project will provide new insights into how the extracellular matrix contributes to the development of HCM. Understanding the relationship between hyaluronan, metabolism, and cardiomyocyte growth may reveal new therapeutic targets and complement existing treatments that focus primarily on disease-causing genetic mutations.
The project builds on extensive previous work demonstrating a link between hyaluronan accumulation and enlarged cardiomyocytes in experimental models and human heart tissue.
Strnadová A, Ericsson M, Nyrén R, Dudka I, Mörner S, Hellman U. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy co-localizes with accumulation of hyaluronan in cMyBPC+/- mice hearts. PLOS One 2026. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0342635
