Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2020-2021)

Poor efficacy and unpredictable toxic effects of drugs on the heart are leading causes ofx000D
removal of a drug from the market. Many drugs act unpredictably in patients because they arex000D
tested in labs using cells grown in plastic dishes and in animals that poorly mimic humans.x000D
Improved heart tissue models could identify and eliminate toxic and ineffective drugs earlier inx000D
the drug discovery process.x000D
To meet this need, we have developed a microfluidic platform that can model features ofx000D
tissues in the body, like blood flow and three-dimensional tissue arrangement, better than canx000D
be done with standard cell culture models. This platform will be adapted to stretch andx000D
electrically stimulate heart microtissues to better simulate human heart physiology. We havex000D
also developed a new ultrasound imaging technique that can rapidly assess heart microtissuex000D
beating and contraction from outside the platform. We propose to combine these techniquesx000D
to develop a new and improved heart model to rapidly and easily assess the function of heartx000D
microtissues. This model will be unique in its compatibility with standard laboratory equipmentx000D
and medium- to high-throughput workflow, ensuring ease of implementation with minimal timex000D
and effort.x000D
We will optimize the new heart model to achieve functionality more similar to native humanx000D
heart tissue than currently possible, using patient-derived heart cells to model normal andx000D
diseased heart tissue. At project completion, we will deliver a new best-in-class model ofx000D
human heart tissue that is expected to decrease the time and cost associated with drugx000D
development by identifying ineffective and toxic drugs much earlier in the drug developmentx000D
process than is possible with current methods.x000D
This project will produce technologies that are primed for commercialization by our partnerx000D
companies and trainees with interdisciplinary expertise to lead the next generation ofx000D
innovations in the Canadian biotechnology, biomedicine, and health sectors.