Improving vein graft success after heart bypass surgery
Official title: Computational model-driven design to mitigate vein graft failure after coronary artery bypass
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11117074 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses computer models to design better ways to prevent vein grafts from failing after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $604,064 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL159954-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11117074 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is for patients who have undergone or may need coronary artery bypass graft surgery using saphenous vein grafts.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have coronary artery disease or who are not candidates for bypass surgery would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Coronary artery bypass surgery is a common procedure for severe heart disease, often using vein grafts from your leg. Unfortunately, these vein grafts can narrow or block over time, leading to serious health problems. Our team is creating advanced computer models to understand why these grafts fail and to design new solutions. We are exploring how an external, temporary sheath around the graft might protect it and help it heal better. The goal is to develop new strategies that could significantly improve the long-term success of bypass surgery for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent vein graft failure, improving long-term outcomes and reducing complications for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.
How similar studies have gone: While computational models have shown promise in understanding blood flow and vessel mechanics, the specific approach of using a computational growth and remodeling framework to design a preventative sheath for vein grafts is a novel and untested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marsden, Alison L — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Marsden, Alison L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeted NAD+ Replenishment to Protect Vein Grafts After Bypass
Aims to protect vein grafts used in bypass surgery by delivering NAD+ directly to vascular cells to reduce failure from aging and injury.
-
Gene therapy to protect vein grafts after bypass surgery
Testing a gene therapy meant to help veins used in bypass operations stay open longer for people with coronary or peripheral artery disease.
-
Targeted gene therapy to protect prosthetic leg bypass grafts
This project uses targeted gene-silencing treatments to prevent narrowing and failure of synthetic bypass grafts in people with blocked leg arteries.
-
Gene therapies to prevent vein graft failure in heart and leg surgeries
This study is looking at a new way to help improve the success of vein grafts used in heart and leg surgeries, especially for people with coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease, by using a special gene therapy that could help keep the grafts healthy and working better for longer.
-
Understanding why transplanted hearts fail over time
This study is looking at how heart transplants can sometimes fail over time, especially when the heart muscle gets too thick, and it aims to understand the different types of cells involved in this process to help improve the health and longevity of transplanted hearts for patients.
-
Gene therapies to prevent failure of prosthetic bypass grafts
This study is looking at a new way to help people with severe leg artery blockages by using a special treatment to improve the success of prosthetic grafts, which can sometimes fail and lead to serious problems like losing a limb.
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.