NIH awards multimillion-dollar grant for groundbreaking organ transplant research

Scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation have received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance research into organ transplantation and antibody-mediated rejection. This funding will facilitate the development of an novel multi-organ-on-a-chip platform that aims to transform our understanding of transplant rejection and immune tolerance.

Organ transplantation is widely recognized as the most effective treatment for organ failure. However, the need for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy poses significant challenges, including increased risk of infection, cancer, heart disease, and kidney damage. Despite advances in this field, current preclinical models do not accurately replicate human immune responses in transplantation, underscoring the need for more advanced research tools.

Dr. Vadim Jucaud, Ph.D., assistant professor and principal investigator of the project, will focus on creating a state-of-the-art multi-organs-on-a-chip platform consisting of a vascularized liver-on-a-chip and heart-on-a-chip with a fully integrated biosensor system to study the mechanisms underlying antibody rejection and tolerance of heart transplantation by the liver. This state-of-the-art model will simulate the elaborate physiological functions and microvasculature of liver and heart transplants to study the mechanisms of antibody rejection and tolerance with unprecedented precision.

“We hope that our proposed model will provide key insights that could lead to improved treatment strategies and outcomes for transplant patients,” said Dr. Jucaud. “It is great to see the NIH investing in the development of the next generation in vitro models for organ transplantation research. This novel multi-organ-on-a-chip platform will allow us to continue the pioneering work of my early career mentor, Dr. Paul I. Terasaki.”

We are excited about the potential impact of this research. Our unique expertise in organs on a chip and immunology enables this project, which will expand our knowledge of transplantation to improve the lives of patients.”

Dr. Dr. Ali Khademhosseini, Director and CEO of TIBI