Improving delivery of tiny stem‑cell particles to repair hearts after heart attacks
Maximizing Therapeutic Accumulation and Retention for Enhanced Cardiac Repair
A new way to send stem‑cell‑derived particles through the bloodstream to help damaged hearts after a heart attack heal better by getting the particles to the heart and keeping them there longer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300971 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
After a heart attack, tiny particles released by stem cells (called extracellular vesicles, or EVs) can help heart tissue heal, but they often diffuse away and are not retained in the heart. This project is designing a safer, less invasive delivery strategy to make EVs accumulate in and stay longer within injured heart tissue. Researchers will test different targeting and retention approaches in lab and animal models to measure how much EVs reach the heart and how long they persist. The aim is to identify a delivery method that could be translated into future clinical treatments to reduce scarring and improve heart function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have had a heart attack and now have weakened heart muscle or are at risk of developing heart failure would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials.
Not a fit: Patients without ischemic heart disease, such as those with non‑ischemic cardiomyopathy, are unlikely to benefit from this specific therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make EV‑based therapies more effective at repairing heart muscle and lowering the chance of heart failure after a heart attack.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical work and animal studies have shown promise for EVs in heart repair, but clinical success has been limited and targeted delivery remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nguyen, Juliane — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Nguyen, Juliane
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.