Project description
3D heart models pump prospects for CVD therapy
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death whose prevalence is projected to escalate to an epidemic. Accurate models are imperative for development of new therapies. The EU-funded HEART2BEAT project is dedicated to the creation of advanced human heart models. These models are designed to replicate CVD by using microgels that encapsulate human pluripotent stem cells, resulting in the formation of self-organised multicellular 3D human cardiac organoids that faithfully mimic the heart’s architectural structure. The project employs cutting-edge technology to produce 3D heart tissues that can be subsequently analysed on a microfluidic platform. Ultimately, HEART2BEAT aims to construct a miniature human heart capable of pumping fluid. This innovation will facilitate assessment of clinical outcomes in both healthy and diseased states.
Objective
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the cause of the highest mortality and morbidity rates worldwide and are expected to increase in coming years, leading to epidemic proportions. Traditional experimental in vitro and animal models are not predictive enough, which hampers the emergence of novel therapies for treatment of CVD. Consequently, there is an urgent need to establish realistic human models that lead to a better understanding of CVD, providing the opportunity to identify and validate druggable targets. In Heart2Beat I will develop innovative human heart models for mimicking cardiovascular disease. I will use an innovative in-air microfluidic platform for ultra-high throughput encapsulating of human pluripotent stem cells in microgels to generate self-organised multicellular 3D human cardiac organoids that replicate the architectural design of the human heart. Furthermore, I will integrate and develop innovative technologies from the fields of human stem cell biology and engineering to create 3D (micro)-engineered heart tissues, coupled to a versatile and automated microfluidic platform, enabling assessment of multifunctional analysis (e.g. contraction, relaxation, metabolism, morphology). Finally, I will build a functional human mini-heart with the capacity to pump fluid, the main function of the human heart and then assess clinically relevant readouts in healthy and diseased conditions. These first-of-its kind advanced 3D human cardiac models and platforms are complementary to each other and form a highly innovative and comprehensive pipeline for modelling human CVD, enabling (ultra)high throughput screening and in-depth multifunctional pre-clinical analysis of healthy and diseased heart tissues. Successful implementation of Heart2Beat will provide insight into mechanisms of disease and will initiate a paradigm shift for personalised medicine and drug discovery, leading to tailor-made therapy for patients suffering from CVD.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- humanitiesartsarchitectural design
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinecardiologycardiovascular diseases
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespersonalized medicine
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
7522 NB Enschede
Netherlands