Zhenyu Li
Texas A&M University-College Station, TX·Physiology
Doctors routinely measure B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone released by heart muscle, in the blood to diagnose heart failure and to predict heart attack risk. High BNP levels track with worse outcomes.
- Fields
Physiology
Pharmacology
Medicine & Clinical Research
- Topics
B-type natriuretic peptide
NT-proBNP
atrial natriuretic peptide
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jan 2028
What they work on
- Establish BNP, a heart-derived hormone and heart failure biomarker, as a mediator of arterial thrombosis, using a FeCl3-induced artery injury clotting model in mice and platelet aggregation tests.
- Test whether BNP boosts platelet activation through its receptor NPRA, the messenger cGMP and the signaling enzyme PKG II, using mice that lack NPRA or PKG II.
- Determine whether NPRA/cGMP signaling contributes to platelet activation and clotting under normal conditions without added BNP, using NPRA-deficient mice.
More about the research
But is BNP only a warning sign, or does it actively help cause harm? This project tests the idea that BNP also promotes thrombosis, the formation of blood clots that block arteries during heart attacks.
Why it matters
Heart attacks and other clot-driven cardiovascular events are leading causes of death. If BNP actively promotes clotting through platelets, the hormone that doctors measure for heart failure and coronary disease could also help explain adverse events in these patients. The NPRA/cGMP/PKG II pathway could become a target for preventing dangerous blood clots.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
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The school
Texas A&M University-College Station: 23 labs on PI Pages, $1.4B a year on research, 768 research doctorates a year.
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