Improving Vascular Grafts for Children's Heart Surgery
A Preclinical Study Evaluating and Comparing the Efficacy of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts to Polytetrafluoroethylene Grafts
This research aims to create better replacement blood vessels for children born with heart problems by developing special tissue-engineered grafts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129622 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We are working to develop new types of blood vessel grafts that can grow with children and perform better than current options for congenital heart surgery. Our approach involves creating tissue-engineered grafts that encourage the body to regenerate its own healthy tissue. This project will compare these new grafts to the standard grafts currently used, testing their long-term effectiveness in a relevant animal model. The ultimate goal is to bring this advanced technology to children who need heart repairs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Future patients who could benefit are children born with heart defects requiring vascular graft replacement, particularly those undergoing procedures like the Fontan operation.
Not a fit: Patients without congenital heart disease requiring vascular grafts or those who do not undergo such surgeries would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer and more effective surgical options for children with congenital heart disease, potentially reducing the need for multiple surgeries as they grow.
How similar studies have performed: We are currently conducting a clinical trial to evaluate the safety of these tissue-engineered grafts, and standard PTFE grafts are the current clinical practice.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, United States
- Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Breuer, Christopher Kane — Research Inst Nationwide Children's Hosp
- Study coordinator: Breuer, Christopher Kane
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.