Investigating growing heart valve implants for children.
Official title: Evaluation of growth potential of ice-free vitrified heart valves in a pediatric porcine model.
Funded at Tissue Testing Technologies, LLC · NIH-10696568 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on new heart valve implants that can grow with kids, so they won't need as many surgeries as they get older, and it aims to make sure these implants work well after being transplanted.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tissue Testing Technologies, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (North Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | September 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $452,184 |
| NIH project number | 1R41HL169059-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10696568 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children requiring heart valve replacements due to congenital heart defects or other cardiovascular conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not require heart valve replacement or those with conditions that preclude them from undergoing surgery may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing innovative heart valve implants that can grow with pediatric patients, addressing a critical need in pediatric cardiology. The approach involves partial heart transplantation (PHT), where only the part of the heart containing the valve is transplanted, allowing for growth and reducing the need for multiple surgeries. The study will optimize preservation protocols for these implants to ensure they function effectively after transplantation. By creating a network of tissue banks, the research aims to improve the availability of these growing implants for children in need.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the mortality rate associated with heart valve replacements in children by providing implants that grow with the patient.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of partial heart transplantation is novel, preliminary data from similar approaches in animal models have shown promising results.
Where this research is happening
-
Tissue Testing Technologies, LLC
North Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rajab, Taufiek Konrad — Tissue Testing Technologies, LLC
- Study coordinator: Rajab, Taufiek Konrad
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.