Safer heart-strength medicines using tiny engineered human heart tissues
Microheart muscle based discovery and development of inotropic compounds
['FUNDING_SBIR_2'] · ORGANOS, INC. · NIH-11253956
This project uses tiny engineered human heart tissues to find new drugs that safely change heart pumping strength for adults with heart failure or cardiomyopathy.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_SBIR_2'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | ORGANOS, INC. (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Berkeley, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11253956 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers grow tiny human heart muscle tissues from adult-derived stem cells and run a high-throughput 384-well screen to spot compounds that change how strongly the heart contracts. Promising hits are then tested in a more mature microfluidic heart-on-a-chip system to confirm effects and reduce false positives. The team will further verify results using platforms that incorporate adult human heart tissue to better predict real-world safety and arrhythmia risk. The overall approach aims to deliver candidate drugs and new mechanisms that drug developers can advance toward safer treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or other conditions needing improved control of heart pumping could be future candidates for trials based on these findings.
Not a fit: People without heart muscle problems or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from the lab-focused work itself.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce new heart-strengthening medicines that work better and cause fewer dangerous side effects like arrhythmias or blood-pressure problems.
How similar studies have performed: Related human stem-cell heart tissue platforms have successfully detected drug effects and cardiotoxicity, but turning screening hits into safe, effective clinical drugs remains a challenging and partly unproven step.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, UNITED STATES
- ORGANOS, INC. — Berkeley, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: WALL, SAMUEL — ORGANOS, INC.
- Study coordinator: WALL, 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.