Creating 3D Bioprinted Blood Vessels to Understand High Blood Pressure
Development of a Collagen-based 3D Bioprinted Microfluidic Platform for Vascular Tissue Engineering and Disease Modeling
This project is building tiny, lifelike 3D blood vessels to better understand how high blood pressure develops and to find new ways to treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11142974 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
High blood pressure, or hypertensive vascular disease, affects millions and is a major health concern, often causing blood vessels to stiffen. Current treatments sometimes miss how the vessel's structure and cell signals work together to cause the disease. Our goal is to use advanced 3D bioprinting to create small, engineered arteries that act like real ones. This will help us see exactly how changes in the vessel's structure and cell communication lead to high blood pressure. By understanding these connections, we hope to develop more effective treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not recruiting patients, but future patients with hypertensive vascular disease could potentially benefit from its discoveries.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct participation in a clinical trial will not find a direct benefit from this laboratory-based research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a deeper understanding of high blood pressure and help discover new medications or therapies for patients.
How similar studies have performed: While extensive work exists on treating high blood pressure and engineering blood vessels, this project introduces novel 3D bioprinting and biosensor platforms to explore the disease's underlying mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shiwarski, Daniel J — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Shiwarski, Daniel J
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.