One-time catheter injection that slowly releases medicine into the heart after a heart attack
Catheter-injectable system for local drug delivery after myocardial infarct
This project uses a catheter-delivered gel that stays in the injured heart muscle and slowly releases medicine to help people recovering from a heart attack.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251343 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are building a nanoparticle-containing hydrogel that a cardiologist can inject into the damaged area of the heart during a catheter procedure. The gel is designed to stick in place despite the heart's movement and to release a therapeutic drug over weeks so repeated dosing isn't needed. The team combines drug-delivery chemistry, polymer materials, and cardiovascular engineering and will test gel retention, drug release, and bioactivity in controlled lab and preclinical models before moving toward human use. The goal is to reduce inflammation and scarring in the infarct zone to preserve heart function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people who recently had a myocardial infarction and are medically eligible for a catheter-based procedure to deliver therapy to the infarcted region.
Not a fit: Patients without a recent heart attack, those with diffuse heart disease not localized to an infarct, or those who cannot undergo catheter procedures would likely not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a one-time, minimally invasive treatment that reduces scarring and inflammation after a heart attack and helps preserve heart function.
How similar studies have performed: Related injectable biomaterial and local drug-delivery approaches have shown promise in laboratory and animal studies, but similar one-time catheter-delivered gels remain largely untested in people.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Navarro, Renato Samuel — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Navarro, Renato Samuel
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.