| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/Y004434/1 |
| Title: |
BIONIC HEARTS: Bio-IONomerIC polymers for the regenerative therapy of HEART disease and Stroke |
| Principal Investigator: |
Nair, Dr M |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Engineering Science |
| Organisation: |
University of Oxford |
| Scheme: |
New Investigator Award |
| Starts: |
01 April 2024 |
Ends: |
31 March 2027 |
Value (£): |
487,475
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Biochemical engineering |
Med.Instrument.Device& Equip. |
| Tissue Engineering |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality, representing 32% of all deaths globally. CVDs are also the major contributor to rising disability in our aging populations, with ischemic strokes representing the largest cause of severe disability in the UK. The annual economic cost of CVDs to the UK has been estimated at £9 billion for direct healthcare costs, and an additional £19 billion due to premature deaths and disability. In particular, the likelihood of stroke is significantly impacted by a patient history of other CVDs.
This increase in risk can be attributed to the loss of cardiomyocyte cells, whose functions include regulating the rhythmic electrical pulses and providing the contractile motion in the heart. The impairment of these functions leads to three key problems: the inadequate mechanical pumping of the heart, inability to restore blood and nutrient supply, and irregular electrical conduction pathways. Current strategies either support the repair and regeneration of heart tissue for minor injuries, or replace the electrical and mechanical function of the heart artificially in severe cases. The primary shortcoming of these cardiac therapies is their inability to support cardiac repair while providing the electrical and mechanical support offered by permanent implants. An optimal therapeutic device would therefore address these three key challenges of CVDs by operating at voltages and currents that can concurrently (1) stimulate tissue growth (2) support the forces, strains and strain rates involved in pumping mechanism of the heart (3) improve blood and nutrient flow to damaged tissues, and (4) correct for aberrant electrical conduction.
The BIONIC HEARTS proposal aims to utilise a recent innovation of the PI: the ability to create electroactive constructs derived from biologically derived materials, termed 'bio-ionomeric' polymers. These polymers recapitulate the native biochemical environment, while possessing the ability to undergo large scale deformations in response to an applied electric field. The project aims to provide fundamental data on the fabrication and synthesis of these bio-ionomeric polymers, to obtain high strains at voltages that are conducive to cell viability, to improve nutrient flow through electrically driven pumping and drift of charged species, and finally to stimulate cardiomyocyte growth and maturation. The outcomes of this project will facilitate the development of dynamically responsive regenerative implants with the pumping and stimulation capacity of current pacemakers and VADs. By combining potential for regeneration and cardiac control, these devices have the potential to reduce the extent of damage and disability caused by heart failure and ischaemic strokes, reduce the need for heart transplants, and improve the quality of life of patients. The outcomes of this project will facilitate the development of dynamically responsive regenerative implants with the pumping and stimulation capacity of the state-of-the-art artificial medical devices such as pacemakers and ventricular assist devices. By combining potential for regeneration and cardiac rhythm control, the bio-ionomeric devices proposed have the potential to reduce the extent of damage and disability caused by heart failure and ischaemic strokes, reduce the need for heart transplants, and improve the quality of life of patients.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ox.ac.uk |