Making reliable stem-cell heart cells for therapy
Technologies enabling robust closed-loop manufacturing of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes
This project will create automated feedback-controlled methods to produce consistent heart muscle cells from human stem cells for people with heart failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264939 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will build closed-loop systems that monitor cell growth and automatically adjust signals in 3D bioreactors to steer stem cells into heart muscle cells. They will use genetic and epigenetic measurements, including ATAC-seq, to find markers that predict which batches will succeed. By comparing many successful and failed batches, they will design feedback rules to reduce variability across cell lines and manufacturing conditions. The goal is to make stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes more reproducible and scalable for research and future clinical use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced heart failure or other conditions where replacing or repairing heart muscle might help would be the main candidates for therapies enabled by this work.
Not a fit: Patients without heart disease or those who cannot receive cell therapies due to immune issues or severe comorbidities are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make stem-cell treatments for heart disease more reliable, less expensive, and easier to deliver to patients.
How similar studies have performed: Early lab and first-in-human work with stem-cell-derived heart cells has shown promise, but manufacturing consistency and scale-up remain challenges that this project aims to solve.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Palecek, Sean P — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Palecek, Sean P
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.