This $647,359 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) supports the engineering of biomaterials with controlled biomolecule delivery for cardiovascular applications. The key products and services to be delivered include: Efficient and sustainable delivery of microRNA-145 from a novel biomaterial (PVA-CDI immobilized aminated fucoidan, or PCAF) to smooth muscle cells to induce a contractile...
The U.S. Defense Health Agency awarded a $5,386,587 Project Grant (CFDA 12.420 - Military Medical Research and Development) to Cerulean Scientific Inc. on June 1, 2024. This grant supports the development of an "Omniphobic Cerebral Shunt to Eliminate Clogging and Dysfunction". Cerulean Scientific Inc., a small disadvantaged business manufacturer, will use the funding to conduct research and development on creating and optimizing tethered liquid perfluorocarbon (TLP) coatings for...
This Project Grant, awarded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), aims to develop a unique antimicrobial vascular catheter to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). The $272,702 award, effective September 1, 2023, with a completion date of February 29, 2024, will support research and development efforts to create an intravascular catheter with inherent long-lasting antiseptic properties. The...
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a $306,102 Project Grant (CFDA 93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research) to Peca Labs Inc. on August 1, 2025. The grant funds the development and feasibility testing of a novel, fully-polymeric, biomimetic prosthetic mitral valve constructed from clinically-proven materials. The goal is to improve durability, performance, and overall outcomes compared to current biologic and mechanical valve options. Specific aims include...
This federal Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is for the development of an endovascular prosthetic graft device that integrates nitric oxide (NO)-releasing polymer technology. The goal is to create a device that can reduce the incidence of infection, neointimal proliferation, and thrombosis - the three main clinical complications associated with current endovascular stent grafts. The total funding...
This Project Grant award from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), provides $1,082,412 to the University of Pittsburgh to optimize and prepare for the manufacturing and regulatory submission of an immunoregulatory tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) device. The key objectives are to: Evaluate the TEVG constructs in vitro using clinically-relevant measures, 2) Validate the performance of scaled-up, human-sized...
This federal Project Grant award of $790,738, provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), aims to develop and evaluate the Thoraflush, a proactive clot-preventing cardiac chest tube that utilizes dual irrigation technology to maintain drainage patency. The key objectives are to: 1) Optimize the Thoraflush's efficacy in maintaining drainage patency using an in vitro mediastinum blood coagulation model, and...
This Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.837), supports the continued clinical development of a novel pleural and tracheal sealant. The $381,000 award to the University of Vermont will fund research to: 1) define optimal manufacturing, sterilization, and storage conditions for the sealant patch; 2) further evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the sealant in animal models...
This Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.837), supports the development of a lesion-targeted nanotherapeutic to address vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction and mitigate neointimal hyperplasia (NIH), which is a significant issue arising from vascular damage during interventions. The project aims to integrate in vitro transcribed CARMN RNA (a long non-coding RNA critical...
This Project Grant award, provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program, supports the development of an innovative bioprinting approach for creating vascular grafts that closely mimic the properties of natural blood vessels. The $304,906 award to Seabird Lifesciences LLC, a minority-owned small disadvantaged business located in Milton, MA, aims to overcome limitations of current synthetic and biological vascular...
This Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (CFDA 93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research) provides $1,989,548.00 to Cerulean Scientific Inc., a small disadvantaged business in Durham, North Carolina, to develop a slippery, omniphobic coating for peripheral vascular grafts (PVGs). The goal is to investigate the ability of the tethered liquid perfluorocarbon (TLP) coating to resist occlusion, thrombus formation, and biofilm formation on PVGs, which are a common treatment for critical limb ischemia. Over the 3-year project period, the awardee will perform in vitro characterization, protein biofouling, and thrombogenicity testing of the TLP PVG coating, obtain GMP manufacturing, conduct in vivo efficacy studies, and initiate the FDA 510(k) approval process. This research aims to dramatically improve PVG patient outcomes by reducing failure due to neointimal hyperplasia, infection, and thrombosis.