Vascularized liver-heart on-a-chip to study antibody-mediated rejection and tolerance
Official title: Vascularized liver-heart on-a-chip modeling antibody-mediated rejection and tolerance of allografts
Funded at Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation · NIH-11377354 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist-led project will use a chip-based, vascularized liver model to study how antibodies contribute to transplant rejection and how tolerance might be achieved in organ transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Woodland Hills, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 14, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $593,229 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183529-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377354 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people awaiting kidney, heart, liver, or lung transplant who would benefit from reduced rejection risk and improved graft survival.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing organ transplantation or those unlikely to benefit from antibody-focused strategies may see limited relevance.
What this research studies
This project creates a connected, small-scale model of liver and heart tissue with a working blood vessel network to mimic a transplant scenario. It will test how donor antibodies interact with transplanted tissue on a chip and what factors might promote tolerance. The research uses human-relevant organ-on-a-chip technology to explore mechanisms behind antibody-mediated rejection. Findings could point toward design strategies for less toxic immunosuppression and better long-term graft survival. The work aims to translate lab observations into potential strategies for patients who need organ transplants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to safer immunosuppression or tolerance approaches, improving graft longevity for transplant patients.
How similar studies have gone: Organs-on-a-chip platforms have shown promise in modeling human physiology, with fewer examples directly linking ABMR mechanisms to clinical outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Woodland Hills, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jucaud, Vadim — Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
- Study coordinator: Jucaud, Vadim
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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.