Image-guided microrobots to prevent vein narrowing in dialysis fistulas
An Image-Guided Microrobotic Drug Delivery Method for Preventive Vascular Interventions
Tiny, soft microrobots will deliver a drug directly to the outflow vein of arteriovenous fistulas used for hemodialysis to try to prevent vein narrowing and clotting in people with end-stage kidney disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11333255 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you took part, doctors would use medical imaging to guide tiny, soft microrobots through your fistula vein and place a drug (AZD8797) against the vessel wall where inflammation causes narrowing. The microrobots are designed to release the drug locally to reduce vessel-wall inflammation without cutting or injuring the vein and to limit whole-body exposure. The team will refine the robots and delivery method in laboratory and model systems before moving toward procedures that could be offered to people with problematic fistulas. The overall aim is a preventive, local treatment to keep fistulas open longer and reduce repeated balloon angioplasty procedures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with end-stage kidney disease who use an arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis, especially those with early or recurring venous stenosis of the fistula outflow vein.
Not a fit: People without an arteriovenous fistula, those on peritoneal dialysis, or patients whose fistula problems stem from causes other than neointimal hyperplasia or who cannot undergo endovascular procedures are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce venous stenosis and thrombosis, lower the need for repeated angioplasty, and help dialysis fistulas stay open longer.
How similar studies have performed: The CX3CR1 inhibitor AZD8797 has shown promise in failed human fistula tissue and animal models, but using image-guided soft microrobots for local endoluminal drug delivery is a novel and largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Scottsdale, United States
- Mayo Clinic Arizona — Scottsdale, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ceylan, Hakan — Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Study coordinator: Ceylan, Hakan
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.