Engineered mini-heart models that mimic low-oxygen heart damage
Official title: Microphysiological Systems to Study Hypoxic Cardiac Injury
Funded at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville · NIH-11241170 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Engineered mini-heart systems recreate the low-oxygen zones that happen during and after a heart attack so researchers can develop treatments to protect heart tissue and help patients recover.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fayetteville, United States) |
| Project start | January 2, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HL157722-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241170 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who recently had a heart attack or who are undergoing reperfusion therapy would be the most relevant candidates for future clinical studies based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-ischemic heart conditions or those needing immediate emergency treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this lab-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers are building 'heart-on-a-chip' devices that precisely control oxygen levels to recreate the gradient from healthy to damaged heart tissue that happens in a heart attack and after reperfusion. They will use microfluidics and heart cells to measure how cells respond across that border zone and to test engineering and drug approaches that might reduce injury. The project combines tight oxygen control with functional readouts of cardiomyocyte health and signaling pathways to identify mechanisms of damage. The mentored R00 phase will refine the models and methods to make them more relevant to human heart injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new ways to reduce muscle damage after a heart attack and guide treatments that improve recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Related 'heart-on-a-chip' and oxygen-gradient models have produced useful lab findings about cell responses, but translating those results into proven patient therapies remains early and limited.
Where this research is happening
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University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rexius, Megan L. — University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
- Study coordinator: Rexius, Megan L.
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.