Targeted immune treatments to protect donated hearts
Official title: Targeted immune therapies in heart transplantation
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11481770 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops ways to send immune-suppressing medicines directly to the lymph nodes and the transplanted heart to help people with heart transplants avoid rejection while reducing side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,016,390 |
| NIH project number | 7R35HL166640-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11481770 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have received or are planning to receive a heart transplant and who are concerned about rejection or the side effects of current immune-suppressing drugs are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not heart transplant recipients or whose heart problems are not driven by immune rejection are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are creating targeted delivery methods—like nanoparticles and antibody-drug conjugates—to bring anti-rejection medicines straight to the lymph nodes and the transplanted heart. They focus on blocking the donor-specific T cell responses that start in draining lymph nodes so those harmful immune cells do not travel to the graft. Work will combine lab studies, tissue and cell experiments, and preclinical models to test whether concentrating drugs locally can lower the need for high-dose systemic immunosuppression. The team aims to preserve graft function while reducing infections, cancer risk, and metabolic complications caused by broad immune suppression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower rejection rates while allowing patients to take less systemic immunosuppression, reducing infections, cancer risk, and other side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Targeted delivery using nanoparticles and antibody-drug conjugates has shown clinical success in cancer, but applying these approaches to prevent transplant rejection is relatively new and mostly at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abdi, Reza — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Abdi, Reza
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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IL-33 helps protect heart transplant patients from long-term rejection
This grant studies how a natural molecule called IL-33 may shield heart transplant patients from ongoing immune damage and chronic rejection.
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Targeted mRNA delivery to improve heart transplants from donation after circulatory death
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Belatacept to reduce rejection and protect kidneys after a heart transplant
This trial will compare continuing tacrolimus to gradually switching to belatacept over nine months in people receiving a first-time heart transplant to lower rejection, prevent donor-specific antibodies, and protect kidney function.
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This work tries transplanting only the donor heart part that contains a valve so children can get a valve that grows with them.
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Predicting Heart Transplant Rejection Risk Before Surgery
This research aims to find ways to predict which heart transplant patients might reject their new heart, helping doctors tailor their medication plans.
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How IL-33 may protect transplanted hearts
This work looks at whether a natural protein called IL-33 can reduce inflammation and scarring after a heart transplant for transplant recipients.
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.