Home Department: Biology and Music
Mentor: Helen Blau (Microbiology & Immunology)

2023 Research Project:“15-PGDH Inhibition as an Antifibrotic for Dilated Cardiomyopathy”

Ireh’s project focuses on finding a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a cardiovascular disease characterized by heart enlargement and fibrosis. The Blau lab aims to investigate the effects of inhibiting the enzyme 15-PGDH using a small molecule called SW033391 (SW) on cardiac fibrosis and heart function. The hypothesis is that inhibiting 15-PGDH will reduce fibrosis and improve heart function in mice with DCM. Ireh’s project explores a potential therapy for DCM and hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in cardiac fibrosis.
 

2024 Research Project:"Inhibition of the Gerozyme 15-Pgdh Rescues Skeletal Muscle Overload Response in Aged Mice"

Weight-lifting and other resistance training use high-force contractions, or “mechanical overload,” to trigger muscle growth. However, both muscle mass and the ability of muscle to respond to overload reduce with age. Previously, the Blau lab showed that a protein called 15-PGDH accumulates with aging, and that, in mice, deactivating this protein improves aged muscle size and function. Ireh’s project is to determine if deactivating 15-PGDH also improves response to overload. Ireh’s preliminary data suggests that treated aged mice subjected to overload have better muscle mass and composition than controls. Her findings suggest deactivating 15-PGDH as a therapy to rebuild aged muscle.