Injectable engineered scaffold to improve blood flow and muscle health in legs with peripheral artery disease
Official title: Bioengineered Composite for the Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11319847 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Testing an injectable engineered material designed to help improve blood flow and heal damaged leg muscle in people with peripheral artery disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $667,231 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168513-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319847 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with peripheral artery disease causing leg ischemia or muscle damage, especially those who have limited surgical or revascularization options.
✕Less likely to help
People without PAD, those whose leg symptoms are caused by other conditions, or patients needing immediate surgical revascularization or treatment for infection may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
I have peripheral artery disease and researchers are creating an injectable nanofiber-hydrogel scaffold to place into leg muscle to encourage new blood vessel growth and protect muscle cells. They will refine the material so it swells very little, tolerates repeated muscle movement, allows exchange of helpful factors, and provides antioxidative and angiogenic support. Most of the work is being done in the lab and in small animal models to measure how well the material stays in muscle and supports tissue repair. If these tests are successful, the team plans to move toward options that could be tested in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to a long-lasting, injectable treatment that improves leg blood flow, supports muscle repair, and reduces pain and risk of limb loss in PAD.
How similar studies have gone: Prior clinical trials of stem cell, growth factor, and gene therapies have shown some promise and biomaterial strategies have improved outcomes in small animal PAD models, but this specific injectable nanofiber-hydrogel composite approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Xiaowei — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Li, Xiaowei
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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.