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ElectroMechanoActive Polymer-based Scaffolds for Heart-on-Chip

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

New drug development model for cardiovascular disease

With cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accounting for 45 % of all deaths in Europe and costing the EU economy EUR 210 billion a year, it’s necessary to find better and cost-efficient treatments. Unfortunately, only four drugs targeting CVDs have been approved in the last decade. Efforts to accelerate drug development are urgently needed. The EU-funded EMAPS-Cardio project aims to develop a new organ-on-chip platform for growth and maturation of cardiac microtissues for adult-like organotypic models in healthy and diseased states. Also, the increased sensitivity and accuracy of organ-on-chip devices is a needed leap in technology that will accelerate new drug development without the need for animal models.

Objective

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for 45% of deaths in Europe and are estimated to cost the EU economy €210 billion a year. However, only four drugs targeting cardiovascular diseases have been approved for use in the last decade. Thus, models that could effectively simulate diseased tissues, would enable the accurate assessment of the efficacy of the pharmaceuticals, and would accelerate drug development are urgently needed. The main bottleneck towards such models is the foetal-like state of the human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived cardiomyocytes (CMs). That is hiPSC-CMs do not reach adult-like maturity. The objective of this project is to produce a platform for growth and maturation of cardiac microtissues for adult-like organotypic models in healthy and diseased states. To achieve that, biomimetic microenvironment that provides all the needed stimuli (electrical, mechanical, topological (3D environment) and biochemical (release of active molecules)), during the maturation of hiPSC-CMs will be developed. This will be achieved by combining electro-mechanoactive polymer-based scaffolds (EMAPS) with bioactive membranes. To characterize the effects of CVD drugs, the contractility of the microtissue will be monitored continuously and simultaneously (over 24-wells) using the sensors developed during the project. To increase the sensitivity and accuracy of the model, deep-learning based algorithms to detect the effects of drugs in vitro will be developed and verified. The goals will be achieved by a multidisciplinary consortium with complementary know-how of three academic units and seven small companies. The increased sensitivity and accuracy of organ-on-chip devices is a needed leap in technology that will accelerate new drug development without the need for animal models; the project aims to provide a platform for the realization of such physiologically-relevant organotypic models.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018-2020

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Sub call

H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2020-twostage

Funding Scheme

RIA-LS - Research and Innovation action Lump Sum

Coordinator

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution
€ 698 136,76
Address
Rue michel ange 3
75794 Paris
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Other funding
€ 0,00

Participants (8)

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EC signature date 25 February 2021
Last update: 8 October 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/953138

European Union, 2023