AI-powered flexible electronics to help lab-grown human heart tissue mature
SCH: Al-driven Flexible Electronics for Cardiac Organoid Maturation
This project uses AI combined with soft, implantable electronics to help lab-grown human heart tissue develop more like real heart muscle, improving models made from patients' own cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370134 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists will grow 3D human heart tissues from patient-derived stem cells and embed ultra-flexible electronic sensors and tiny stimulators throughout each organoid. The electronics will continuously record electrical and functional signals while AI links those signals to single-cell molecular readouts to track maturation. The system will automatically adjust distributed electrical stimulation to guide tissue development and reduce variability between samples. The goal is more mature, reliable patient-specific heart tissue models for research and drug testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People willing to donate blood or skin samples for making patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, especially those with heart conditions, would be ideal contributors.
Not a fit: This work is laboratory-focused and will not provide direct treatment or immediate clinical benefit to participants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce more realistic patient-specific heart tissues for safer drug testing and better understanding of individual heart diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have used electrical stimulation and flexible sensors to improve heart cell maturation, but combining 3D implanted electronics, in situ single-cell sequencing, and AI closed-loop control is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Harvard University — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Jia — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Liu, Jia
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.