Coordinated platform to grow transplant-ready bioartificial heart tissue
Official title: Coordinated Heart Stimulation Testbed: A Platform for Contractile Ventricle Engineering
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11465488 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research program at Baylor aims to develop an automated, bioreactor system that grows and trains human heart tissue using stem cells to create a transplantable heart chamber.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $383,123 |
| NIH project number | 7R01HL169632-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11465488 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with end-stage heart failure who may benefit from future bioengineered heart tissue or transplantable options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without end-stage heart failure or those who are not eligible for future bioengineered organ therapies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on building a fully automated system that combines multiple maturation methods to train immature heart cells into functional left-ventricle tissue. Researchers will use 3D-printed or native scaffolds and human-induced pluripotent stem cells to create recellularized heart chambers. The study seeks to deliver physiologically relevant stimulation and culture conditions to improve tissue maturation toward organ-level function. By advancing bioreactor technology, the work hopes to move closer to transplantable bioartificial hearts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with heart failure could benefit from new, donor-independent heart tissue capable of one day functioning as a transplantable heart.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown progress in tissue engineering of heart muscle, but achieving fully functional, transplantable heart tissue remains a developing area.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hochman-Mendez, Camila — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Hochman-Mendez, Camila
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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.