Off-the-shelf living blood vessel grafts for children with single-ventricle heart defects
Official title: Readily Available Biological Conduits to Treat Single Ventricle Defects
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11228764 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work is making ready-to-use living blood vessel grafts from donated umbilical arteries and engineered stem-cell lining to help children born with single-ventricle heart defects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $570,299 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171984-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11228764 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be infants or young children with single-ventricle congenital heart defects who need a conduit to route venous blood to the pulmonary arteries (Fontan-type procedures).
✕Less likely to help
Children without single-ventricle heart defects, adults, or patients who are not surgical candidates or who cannot receive biological grafts would not be expected to benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Your child would receive a living blood vessel made from a decellularized human umbilical artery whose inner surface is coated with endothelial cells derived from engineered human stem cells and grown under blood-like flow in a bioreactor. The team tested these grafts in validated animal models and found they resisted narrowing and clotting that troubled earlier tissue-engineered grafts. They are also working to make the engineered cells less likely to trigger immune rejection so the grafts could be used in many patients. The project develops the manufacturing and preclinical safety data needed to move toward clinical use for children needing Fontan-type conduits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these grafts could lower the risk of narrowing and clots, grow with a child, and reduce the number of re-operations after Fontan surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Prior clinical trials of tissue-engineered vascular grafts showed high stenosis rates, but preclinical studies using decellularized human umbilical arteries seeded with engineered endothelial cells prevented narrowing in rat models, making this a promising yet not-yet-proven approach in people.
Where this research is happening
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Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qyang, Yibing — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Qyang, Yibing
Related research
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This study is looking at how heart failure affects children who have had a special heart surgery called the Fontan operation, with the goal of finding new ways to spot heart problems early and improve treatments for them.
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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.