Cardiovascular Diseases: What novel ways can be used to treat them?

In this blog, we hear from DOROTHY MSCA COFUND awardee Dr Aleksandra Serafin on Tissue Engineering as a proposed solution to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent diseases that include the heart and the surrounding blood vessels, such as myocardial infarction (heart attack); cerebrovascular disease (stroke), heart failure etc. With the ongoing development of medical research, more people are living to an older age than ever. With an increase in the aging populations, particularly seen in Western cultures, the incidence rates of many diseases are also rising, with CVDs presenting as the most worrying to public health. Globally, CVDs have now become the leading global cause of death, with 17.3 million people dying from CVDs annually. This number is expected to rise to 23.6 million annually by 2030.

CVDs have traditionally been treated with medication and limited surgical interventions which include heart transplants. These are considered the best treatment routes available, even with limitations present, such as lack of donors and long patient waiting lists contributing as the predominant limiting factors. It is estimated that only about 10% of the world’s needs for donated tissues and organs are met worldwide, making this a pressing global health crisis.

A proposed solution to this pressing problem centres on Tissue Engineering (TE). Generally, the combination of biocompatible material scaffolds, as well as cells and bioactive molecules, are used to construct and implant the scaffolds in-vivo to achieve tissue integration and regeneration. Hydrogel systems and scaffolds have been extensively studied for this purpose, particularly due to the ease of hydrogel production and high-water content which can replicate natural tissue consistency.

Cardiovascular TE has recently seen a rise in research in electroconductive materials, though the biodegradability of such materials is not fully understood or tested. If such a material cannot properly be degraded within the implantation site, it could cause toxicity issues in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys or lungs. Dr. Serafin’s Dorothy research project focuses on the circumvention of this issue by raising the conductivity of the biomaterial scaffolds in a more natural way, utilizing ions that are naturally present in the body for this purpose. This approach more closely replicates the natural nerve signalling of an action potential expressed to contract the heart and enable blood flow around the body, which has not been explored to date in the field of TE. This novel scaffold will be based on the mechanical properties of the heart in a biomimicry manner, with excellent material flexibility to replicate the contractile nature of the heart. The efficacy of the developed models will be studied in-vitro CVD model with cardiomyocyte cells to evaluate its biocompatibility. The overall aim is to provide a regenerative platform for damaged heart tissue, thus reducing the need for heart transplantation to achieve therapeutic results.

As part of this research project, Dr. Serafin will travel to Dame Prof. Molly Stevens’ laboratory at the University of Oxford, UK. The Stevens Group is internationally recognized for its portfolio of designer bio-instructive materials for regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. The team has developed a broad toolkit of advanced manufacturing strategies such as 3D printing, remote stimulation, and cell patterning, to build scaffolds for cells that recreate the complexity of real tissues, allowing her to upskill and gain new knowledge from their collaboration. The second part of the fellowship will take place at the University of Limerick, under the mentorship of Prof. Maurice Collins, who possesses unique knowledge of polymers, biomaterials, and structure/property relationships that complement the understanding of TE and biomaterials.

In the coming weeks, Dr. Serafin will organize a seminar in her department at the School of Engineering to disseminate her DOROTHY project to her peers and colleagues, and further outline how the project aims to tackle the public health crisis of cardiovascular diseases.

You can follow Dr. Serafin on LinkedIn @Aleksandra Serafin to read more about her research progress.