Project R-12153

REVERSIGEL: REVERSIbly crosslinked hydroGELs for effective cardiac stem cell delivery (Research)

The heart attack is a cardiovascular disease, in which heart tissue dies due to a lack of oxygen. This loss of viable tissue can disturb the heart's function and lead to heart failure (HF), which is often fatal. Current therapies only slow down the progression towards HF. A potential cure aims at replacing the lost heart tissue with healthy tissue derived from stem cells. Researchers from Hasselt University have patented a new population of stem cells, the cardiac atrial appendage stem cells (CASCs). These CASCs show improved differentiation potential towards mature cardiomyocytes and are therefore promising candidates for heart tissue regeneration. However, CASC therapy is hampered due to the limited retention of stem cells at the transplantation site. This project focusses on developing shear-thinning hydrogels that facilitate CASC transplantation with increased on-site retention. The envisioned hydrogels mimic the natural environment of heart muscle cells by relying on a protein as well as a carbohydrate component. The synthetized protein is selected for its thermoresponsive nature and possibility to incorporate peptides for cell-interaction. While the carbohydrate has positive biological functions and is easily modified. Both components can be cross-linked via reversible hydrazone bonds to obtain an injectable hydrogel. The goal is to increase the hydrogels' mechanical and biological properties by additional cross-linking. The materials are expected to form biocompatible hydrogel networks, without impeding injectability.

01 November 2021 - 25 December 2023