Engineered blood-vessel cells to help repair heart, lung, and blood tissues
Adaptable tissue-specific endothelial cells for organ regeneration
Researchers are creating engineered blood-vessel cells meant to help regrow damaged heart, lung, and blood tissues in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370535 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project aims to build tissue-specific endothelial cells — the blood-vessel cells that send signals to support repair — and adapt them for heart, lung, and blood regeneration. Scientists will decode the gene programs that make endothelial cells behave differently in each organ and then engineer cells with those organ-specific programs in the lab. The engineered cells will be tested in laboratory and preclinical models to see whether they provide the pro-regenerative signals needed for tissue repair. The goal is to establish a pipeline that could lead to future therapies for patients with organ damage.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with heart, lung, or blood diseases that cause tissue damage would be the most likely candidates for future therapies emerging from this research.
Not a fit: People needing immediate treatment, children, or patients with conditions unrelated to heart, lung, or blood tissue repair are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that regrow damaged tissues in the heart, lungs, or blood system and reduce reliance on transplants.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and animal studies have shown that organ-specific endothelial cells can support tissue repair, but translating these findings into human treatments remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rafii, Shahin — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Rafii, Shahin
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.