Improving immune therapies for heart transplant patients
Official title: Targeted immune therapies in heart transplantation
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11015852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for ways to make heart transplant treatments better by using new methods to help your body accept the new heart while reducing side effects, so if you're a heart transplant patient, you might get to try some exciting new therapies!
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $935,335 |
| NIH project number | 5R35HL166640-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11015852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have undergone heart transplantation or are awaiting a heart transplant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not candidates for heart transplantation or those with contraindications to immune therapies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing immune therapies used in heart transplantation to prevent organ rejection. It aims to develop innovative strategies that deliver targeted treatments directly to the areas where they are needed most, such as the draining lymph nodes and the transplanted heart. By utilizing advanced techniques like nanotechnology and antibody-drug conjugates, the study seeks to improve the effectiveness of these therapies while minimizing their side effects. Patients participating in this research may receive cutting-edge treatments designed to better manage their post-transplant care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and safer immune therapies for heart transplant patients, improving their long-term health and organ survival.
How similar studies have gone: While targeted drug delivery has shown promise in cancer treatment, its application in heart transplantation is still in the early stages, making this research a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abdi, Reza — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Abdi, Reza
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeted immune treatments to protect donated hearts
This project develops ways to send immune-suppressing medicines directly to the lymph nodes and the transplanted heart to help people with heart transplants avoid rejection while reducing side effects.
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IL-33 helps protect heart transplant patients from long-term rejection
This grant studies how a natural molecule called IL-33 may shield heart transplant patients from ongoing immune damage and chronic rejection.
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Targeted mRNA delivery to improve heart transplants from donation after circulatory death
This grant tests a new mRNA delivery approach to help donor hearts from donors after circulatory death survive and function better after transplant.
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Belatacept to reduce rejection and protect kidneys after a heart transplant
This trial will compare continuing tacrolimus to gradually switching to belatacept over nine months in people receiving a first-time heart transplant to lower rejection, prevent donor-specific antibodies, and protect kidney function.
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Partial heart transplant to give growing heart valves to children
This work tries transplanting only the donor heart part that contains a valve so children can get a valve that grows with them.
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Predicting Heart Transplant Rejection Risk Before Surgery
This research aims to find ways to predict which heart transplant patients might reject their new heart, helping doctors tailor their medication plans.
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.