Cardiovascular Moonshot (RegMed XB)

2018

Heart failure is a global public health issue with a largely equal distribution between men and women. For patients with end-stage heart failure limited treatment options are available. The Cardiovascular Moonshot of RegMed-XB (CMRM-XB) is a comprehensive program based on the concept of developing personalized cardiac regenerative therapies tailored to individual patients. The researchers aim to enhance the body's inherent regenerative capacity, such as improving contractility and perfusion of the heart muscle, repairing or replacing coronary arteries and heart valves. Importantly, researchers will gain insights into optimizing heart treatment and potentially preventing certain cardiovascular diseases in patients.

The Research
The research is focused on the creation of a(n) (additional) solution(s) for patients by regenerating the human heart inside (in-situ) or outside of the body (ex-situ). Repair of the heart in a cardiac perfusion bioreactor (ex-situ) offers unique opportunities, including the possibility to apply treatments without off-target effects to distant organs or wash-out of therapeutics. Initially, this could be an option to restore donor hearts for transplant recipients. After restoring the heart, it will be re-implanted. This strategy also facilitates exploration of gene therapy for hereditary diseases. Along this process, the researchers learn how to treat the heart better and eventually also aim to deduce how to treat the heart inside a patient.

The Cardiovascular Moonshot of RegMed XB is the most recent addition to the Moonshot initiatives. To date, it has completed a hypothermic pilot study that has enhanced researchers' expertise in perfusion models. Currently, this model is undergoing further refinement for optimal heart preservation. Additionally, ongoing histopathological analysis of heart valves aims to elucidate how these valves remodel in response to altered fluid dynamics within the ex vivo heart platform.

The cardiovascular Moonshot consists of a multidisciplinary team of transplant surgeons (Utrecht), cardiologists (Utrecht, Maastricht), engineers (Eindhoven) and biologists (Leiden) with the support and input of key stakeholders including patients and companies.

The origin

RegMed XB is a virtual institute that currently comprises Dutch and Belgian public (universities and governments) and private (health foundations and companies) partners that work together to develop regenerative medicine solutions. Regenerative medicine aims to restore degenerated, diseased, or damaged tissues and organs, thereby increasing vital functioning and reducing the cost of healthcare. RegMed XB collaborates on ambitious projects in the field of regenerative medicine. Initially, five health foundations have joined the TKI-program by Health~Holland to define the research objectives and co-govern the projects. Numerous companies have joined and the regional governments support both the research and its valorisation.

The cardiovascular Moonshot recently received follow-up funding from the Dutch Heart Foundation through the Open PSS program, which the Dutch Heart Foundation receives from Health~Holland. In addition, companies involved are also making a financial contribution; these are Coagulation Profile and Axion Biosystems.

Contact person:

Prof. Dr. P. Doevendans (Pieter)

p.doevendans@umcutrecht.nl

Principal investigators

Prof. Dr. P. Doevendans (Pieter)

p.doevendans@umcutrecht.nl

Prof. Dr. C.V.C. Bouten (Carlijn)

c.v.c.bouten@tue.nl

Prof. Dr. M. Goumans (Marie-José)

m.j.goumans@lumc.nl

Dr. B.M.E. Mees (Barend)

barend.mees@mumc.nl

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In the past decade, there has been significant progress in understanding sex- and gender-based differences in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, this knowledge remains scattered across medical literature, highlighting the need for a centralized platform accessible to healthcare professionals, scientists, policymakers, and patients. The IMPRESS consortium aims to establish a knowledge platform focused on gathering, summarizing, and prioritizing existing knowledge related to sex- and gender-specific aspects of CVD. This initiative seeks to promote the implementation of existing knowledge into clinical practice, identify knowledge gaps, and inform policymakers about areas requiring additional attention.
In substantial portions of women with symptoms of myocardial ischemia, obstructive disease in the epicardial coronary arteries is absent. Currently, such women undergo multiple diagnostic tests, which do not always result in a conclusive diagnosis. IMPRESS seeks to reduce missed and delayed diagnoses of heart diseases in women, improving cardiovascular care outcomes nationwide. The knowledge platform will serve as a national resource, fostering collaboration and supporting the adoption of sex- and gender-sensitive practices in cardiovascular medicine.

The Research
IMPRESS consolidates existing knowledge, fosters research, and implements findings into practice wherever possible (for example by creating a Decision Support Tool for primary care and for cardiologists). Within the IMPRESS consortium, the following studies are being conducted:

Delphi study: delayed or missed diagnosis of heart disease
Silent heart attacks: causes, symptoms, and risk factors of silent myocardial infarctions
UMCU-IMPRESS pilot study: undetected coronary microvascular disease (CMD)
Peripheral-Flow: LASCA technique in CMD
Dutch registry of coronary function tests

 
The origin
In the past decade, the understanding of sex- and gender differences in CVD has considerably improved. However, relevant evidence is scattered throughout the medical literature. There is a need to make this information easily accessible to health care professionals, scientists, policy makers and patients. Implementation of existing knowledge in clinical practice will then be promoted, knowledge gaps identified, and policy makers informed on the areas that need additional attention. This is also of high importance to the Dutch Heart Foundation, which therefore funded the IMPRESS consortium; a collaboration between several DCVA partners; the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Cardiologie (NVVC), WCN, Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), ZonMw and the Dutch Heart Foundation, supported by the DCVA.
 

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MyDigiTwin

2020

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of mortality and morbidity, with ischemic heart disease (IHD) representing approximately half of all CVD-related deaths. Precise, personalized risk assessment and treatment recommendations are crucial for addressing the diverse population at risk of CVD. Current standard approaches rely on algorithms that incorporate a limited set of traditional risk factors to estimate CVD and IHD risk. However, significant cardiovascular events often occur in individuals categorized as low risk, underscoring the need for ongoing research to enhance preventive strategies.
The Focus
The MyDigiTwin initiative aims to provide individuals with personalized insights into their cardiac health, enabling proactive monitoring and management of cardiovascular conditions. This integrated digital health platform empowers individuals to take control of their cardiac health by offering accessible, data-driven insights and tools.
The Research
MyDigiTwin is a pioneering research initiative focused on revolutionizing cardiac health management by integrating advanced AI technologies with extensive patient data. The development of MyDigiTwin involves harnessing large-scale longitudinal datasets from over 500,000 patients, combined with sophisticated AI algorithms. This approach enables the platform to analyze diverse health parameters and generate tailored recommendations for users based on their unique health profiles. By leveraging AI and comprehensive patient data, MyDigiTwin represents an innovative approach to preventive and personalized healthcare, facilitating early detection and intervention for cardiovascular conditions.
Origin
This project was funded within the Big Data & Health Program. The focus of this public-private research program is the use of big data for the early detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The program has been developed by NWO, ZonMw, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Top Sectors Life Sciences & Health (LSH), ICT and Creative Industry, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, and the Netherlands eScience Center. Within this research program, the ambitions of the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, and the Netherlands eScience Center were aligned with the ambitions of Commit2Data for the Top Sectors ICT, LSH, and Creative Industry, as described in the 2018-2019 Kennis- en Innovatiecontracts between NWO and the Top Sectors.

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