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Leveraging targeted cell therapy to promote heart transplant tolerance through topical application of a nanoparticle infused polymeric membrane

Award Number: R21EB038487
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2028

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Leveraging targeted cell therapy to promote heart transplant tolerance through topical application of a nanoparticle infused polymeric membrane - Project Summary/Abstract According to the organ procurement and transplantation network, every year more than 40,000 organs are transplanted in the United States; from those organs, over 4500 are related to heart transplantation. Two main limitations that exist with heart transplantation are #1: the waitlist continues to increase whereas the number of donor hearts has not changed. Unfortunately, over 60% of potential donor hearts are discarded. This leads to significant waitlist mortality and an unmet and growing need. #2: if fortunate to be transplanted, the recipient is subjected to lifelong immunosuppression leading to significant burden of infections, malignancies, and end-organ dysfunction while still experiencing a high risk of acute rejection (40% of recipients within the first year) and chronic rejection (over 50% of patients by year 5). This funding opportunity leverages a unique window of therapeutic opportunity by directly targeting the donor heart PRIOR to transplant when the heart is directly accessible. Using material science, nanotechnology and drug delivery, the investigators propose to engineer a novel delivery technology that can be applied ex vivo to the donor organ after procurement and prior to transplantation to improve organ transplantation. The proposed technology consists of a polymeric sheet that contains engineered nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs have a macrophage specific targeting peptide, a fluorescent marker for tracking, and a macrophage activation inhibitor in the core, to reduce pro-inflammatory signaling and recipient neutrophil and monocyte recruitment. Although heart transplantation will be investigated in this grant, this technology may be applicable to other organs to enable a broader use of previously discarded organs and to improve post-transplant outcomes. The goal of this R21 Trailblazer award is to develop an “off-the-shelf” therapy that can exist at every organ procurement organization (OPO) and that can be easily and reliably deployed to donor organs at the time of procurement. The invention will become part of the OPOs procurement pipeline. Importantly, we aim to create a workflow that will improve outcomes and allow increased utilization of “marginal” organs. This technology could be immediately translatable and can be modified to deliver therapies in a personalized medicine approach or can be applicable to other organs.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $624,000 )
2026	2026	THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO	13001 E 17TH PL STE F428	AURORA	CO	80045	ADAMS	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	3/30/2026	NEW	$624,000
														Subtotal = $624,000

Grand Total All Awards = $624,000

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Leveraging targeted cell therapy to promote heart transplant tolerance through topical application of a nanoparticle infused polymeric membrane

Award Number: R21EB038487

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2028

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