Award
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 5R01HL171396-02
Dynamic Biological Hydrogels to Modulate Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction
Recipient
Tufts University
Award Amount
$385,092.00
Ceiling
$385,092.00
Awarded
March 02, 2026
Identifier
5R01HL171396-02
NIH grant awarded to Tufts University for developing injectable hydrogels to improve cardiac repair after myocardial infarction, aiming to prevent heart failure progression by promoting tissue regeneration and favorable cardiac remodeling.
Description
This project aims to develop a new biomaterial to prevent heart failure progression by mimicking the tissue environment of younger hearts, promoting healing and regeneration. It involves creating injectable, highly elastic silk-cECM composite hydrogels containing fetal heart-derived extracellular matrix to mechanically stabilize the infarcted ventricular wall and promote favorable remodeling by cardiac cells, leading to improved repair and reduced diastolic dysfunction. The project will evaluate the physicochemical properties of these hydrogels both in vitro and in vivo, assessing their impact on cardiac cell behavior and cardiac remodeling in rat models to enhance diastolic heart function and prevent ventricular wall thinning post-myocardial infarction.