Project description
New tech to catch heart failure before it strikes
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults. Although genetic advances have been made, serious difficulties remain, making early and accurate risk prediction crucial. With this in mind, the ERC-funded 5D ULTRAFAST-HCM project aims to introduce 5D ultrafast ultrasound imaging, which combines full volumetric heart echography with automatic AI analysis in real-time. By measuring myocardial stiffness, fibre disarray and microperfusion, it is hoped that high-risk patients will be identified before symptoms show. The project will improve imaging, confirm predictive biomarkers and build a risk model that can help doctors monitor, treat and protect young HCM patients.
Objective
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common form of cardiomyopathy, affecting 1 in 500 individuals globally. When HCM presents in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood (0-30yo), it carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality, threatening young lives. Notably, HCM is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in adolescents and young adults without prior warning – a devastating condition affecting over 8000 European youths per year.
Despite genetic advances, this knowledge has yet to prevent HCM progression or major complications like arrhythmias, stroke, heart failure, or SCD. Early prediction of adverse outcomes is crucial to identify patients who may benefit from advanced therapies like implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) and heart transplantation.
5D ULTRAFAST-HCM will develop new biomarkers using advanced ultrasound to address the limitations of 2D ultrafast ultrasound imaging (UUI) in capturing the heart's complex 3D structure over cardiac cycles (4D), emphasizing the need for volumetric imaging. It will develop innovative 5D-UUI technology (4D with real-time AI-driven post-processing) for unprecedented whole-heart imaging, enabling assessment of new biomarkers. Preliminary data show that increased myocardial stiffness, abnormal fiber organization, and reduced microperfusion are key indicators in young HCM patients. We hypothesize that these factors, quantified through 5D-UUI, are directly linked to adverse outcomes. We will (i) refine 5D-UUI for clinical use, automate acquisition and analysis, (ii) validate new biomarkers predicting high-risk cases, and (iii) develop a new risk prediction model for improved ICD indication.
5D ULTRAFAST-HCM will establish this groundbreaking bedside imaging technology and revolutionize patient management. Its success will create a pioneering diagnostic tool that simplifies data collection, enhances patient experience, and offers AI-driven, operator-independent analysis for precise risk assessment.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases cardiac arrhythmia
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine transplantation
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
33404 Talence
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.