Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Northwestern University received a $684,570 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective July 1, 2026, through April 30, 2030. The grant funds the development and translational validation of a bioengineered mitochondrial therapy platform designed to address endothelial injury and repair in vascular surgical procedures. The research integrates surgical sciences and bioengineering to develop lipid-polymer-peptide surface-functionalized mitochondria that enable targeted delivery, cellular uptake, and integration into host mitochondrial networks to counteract post-operative complications such as vein graft failure, restenosis, and thrombosis.

The project deliverables include optimization of mitochondrial source selection, storage formulation, and surface modification parameters to establish translational feasibility (Aim 1), and validation of therapeutic efficacy and biodistribution of the optimized mitochondrial therapy system in clinically relevant in vivo models of both open vascular surgery (vein graft bypass) and endovascular interventions (balloon angioplasty) (Aim 2). The research addresses a significant gap in current surgical practice by providing a regenerative solution to actively protect endothelial health during and after vascular interventions, with potential to overcome existing barriers to clinical adoption of mitochondrial transplantation therapies.