Preventing early hardening and breakdown of heart implants in children
Official title: Mechanisms of accelerated calcification and structural degeneration of implantable biomaterials in pediatric cardiac surgery
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11292864 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at why patches, conduits, and bioprosthetic valves used in children's heart surgery harden and fail sooner than in adults and tests ways to make them last longer for pediatric patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $514,739 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL163085-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11292864 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and infants who need reconstructive heart surgery using patches, valved conduits, or bioprosthetic valves would be the primary population relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Adults with standard adult heart devices or patients who do not receive biomaterial implants are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
As a parent or patient, you'd want heart repairs that last and avoid repeat surgeries. Researchers are studying how calcium buildup and chemical changes (like glyco-oxidation) make implanted materials stiffer and weaker in children. They use lab tests, a pediatric bioregistry of removed devices, and juvenile animal models to recreate the problem and try treatments or material changes that might slow or stop damage. The team will test potential fixes in the lab and in animals before moving toward clinical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce the number of repeat heart operations for children by extending how long implants function safely.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab and clinical analyses, including a pediatric bioregistry, have identified calcification and glyco-oxidation as drivers of failure, but human-focused mitigation approaches remain largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ferrari, Giovanni — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Ferrari, Giovanni
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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.