Summary

Inherited neutral lipid storage disease with cardiomyopathy (NLSD-CM) is caused by mutations in PNPLA2, encoding a lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein, and is characterized by massive lipid accumulation. Using mouse models of genetic and acquired NLSD-CM, we have demonstrated the involvement of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the development of diastolic dysfunction.

The aim of the project is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which HDACs regulate lipid metabolism and cardiac function, to unravel the metabo-epigenetic circuits connecting chromatin state with metabolic and lysosomal-autophagic control in NLSD-CM.

SELECTED SCIENTIFIC OUTCOMES

2024

Gjerga E, Dewenter M, Britto-Borges T, Grosso J, Stein F, Eschenbach J, Rettel M, Backs J & Dieterich C.

Oxford 2024

2023

Lanzer JD, Valdeolivas A, Pepin M, Hund H, Backs J, Frey N, Friederich HC, Schultz JH, Saez-Rodriguez J & Levinson RT.

BMC Med. 21:267, 2023

2025

Frey N & Backs J.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 86:1243-5, 2025

2022

Finke D, Schanze LM, Schreiter F, Kreusser MM, Katus HA, Backs J & Lehmann LH.

J Mol Cell Cardiol. 162:119-29, 2022.

2025

Saadatmand A, Pepin M, Chen Z, Hartmann J, Sun Q, Dewenter M, Nazir S, Paluvai H, Hagenmüller M, Haberkorn U, Schlicker L, Frias-Soler RC, Tyedmers J, Maack C, Schulze A & Backs J.

bioRxiv. 2025.10.16.682731, 2025

2026

Huang J, Schreiter F, Fan J, Chen Z, Paluvai H, Withaar C, Oeing CU, Saadatmand AR, Schoger E, Haydar S, Elsherbiny A, Hagenmueller M, Lapouge K, Guimaraes-Camboa N, Falcao-Pires I, Hamdani N, Schulze A, Jansen S, Nolan MA, Gilsbach R, de Boer RA, Dewenter M & Backs J.

bioRxiv. 2026.01.14.699428, 2026

2025

Pepin, M. E., Konrad, P. J. M., Nazir, S., Bazgir, F., Maack, C., Nickel, A., Gorman, J., Hohl, M., Schreiter, F., Dewenter, M., de Britto Chaves Filho, A., Schulze, A., Karlstaedt, A., Frey, N., Seidman, C., Seidman, J. & Backs, J.

Circ Res. 136:1564-78, 2025

involved in the project

Other scientific staff involved in the project

Adriano de Britto Chaves Filho
Pan Bangfen
Pauline Döttling