Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Research Team

Over the years, the Cardiovascular Substitutes Research Team has focused on developing core, enabling technologies for creation of cardiovascular substitutes such as small diameter blood vessels, tissue-engineered heart valves, and myocardial patches. Prior to the 1998 award by the National Science Foundation of a Tissue Engineering Research Center at Georgia Tech and Emory University (GTEC), there was extensive cardiovascular research at both institutions, but the major regenerative medicine efforts in cardiovascular substitutes began with the 1998 funding of GTEC. We are a diverse, interdisciplinary team and are made up from a combination of cell biologists, engineers, and clinicians with additional collaborations with research groups in major research centers abroad.

GTEC’s Strategy

The major barriers in the development of cardiovascular substitutes that this research group has identified and on which it has focused are: (1) identifying a cell source, one that will allow for substitutes and/or repair strategies that are available off-the­-shelf; (2) achieving a matrix that has both the necessary biologic activity and mechanical properties for a specific application; and (3) developing strategies for the integration of these constructs into living systems through animal studies. Another critical issue in which this group continues to have an interest is the engineering of immune acceptance. Our focus is to address these barriers in an effort to move research forward to commercialization to meet clinical needs. 

Future of GTEC’s Cardiovascular Substitutes Research Team

The road map for the future encompasses focused efforts to move the basic core technologies into living systems that will impact clinical needs and contribute to the development of regenerative medicine strategies. In the myocardial repair area, a plan is now under development that will move the research more aggressively into repair and regeneration. This also will have application to the vascular area. In doing this, a critical issue will be how to deliver the signals required at the right place and at the right time. As part of this, cell source remains an important issue, and thus the cardiovascular research group will continue to have a focus on stem cells and progenitor cells. In this, we will continue to employ stem cell biology for the development of the technologies that can be utilized in new therapies and treatments. We will continue to seek out researchers within academia and industry who will be able to enhance our abilities to meet these research objectives.

There are many ways in which collaborations with industry can be established with the Cardiovascular Team. These include student internships, building a consulting relationship, and/or establishing a specific research project of interest to industry and GTEC. Feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more about our team of researchers.

Recent Innovations Available for Licensing:

  • Acellularized Tissues derived from differentiating embryonic stem cells, GTRC# 3662

  • Hybrid Elastin Scaffold Tissue Engineered Vascular Graft, GTRC# 2491

  • Method for Improving the Strength of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel, GTRC# 3485

  • Mitral Annulus Reconstruction Annuloplasty Chain, GTRC# 2933

  • Novel Cone & Plate Tissue Culture System, GTRC# 3934