HEROES

2020

The focus of this project is to develop a novel home-based exergaming system aimed at enhancing resistance to falls among individuals post-stroke. Preventing falls and fall-related injuries, minimizes healthcare utilization and societal costs and supports stroke survivors in maintaining independence in daily life.

The Research
The HEROES system is designed to target balance perturbations and improve stepping responses. It utilizes action observation and motor imagery techniques to personalize training for individuals with stroke. Stroke survivors will undergo a single training session in a rehabilitation center to practice recovering from real balance perturbations before using HEROES at home.

The effectiveness of the HEROES-system will be assessed through a proof-of-principle randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 60 stroke survivors, evaluating its impact on fall resistance and balance enhancement post-stroke. The approach of involving stroke survivors sets HEROES clearly apart from the currently available home-based exergames, which uses ‘healthy’ people and lack the required personalization of different post-stroke individuals.

Origin
This project is funded within the Innovative Medical Devices Initiative (IMDI) program 'Heart for Sustainable Care'. The focus of this program is the development of medical technology for the earlier detection, monitoring, and better treatment of cardiovascular diseases to ensure accessible healthcare and sufficient staffing. The program has been developed en funded by the Dutch Heart Foundation, ZonMw and NWO, who collaborate within the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance.

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Principal investigators

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GENIUS II

2018
The GENIUS II (Generating Evidence-Based Pharmaceutical Targets and Drugs for Atherosclerosis) consortium is dedicated to studying atherosclerosis, the primary pathological condition underlying cardiovascular diseases. The consortium aims to translate identified druggable targets for atherosclerosis intervention into clinical applications. Gender specificity is a key consideration in all our studies. Our consortium's talent program is structured to provide young researchers with insights into the opportunities and challenges of cardiovascular drug development. The Research GENIUS II research integrates knowledge of dyslipidemia and associated immune responses. Our work is organized into distinct work packages that correspond to the logical steps in drug development. Each selected target from GENIUS I is strategically incorporated into this framework. Our investigations encompass in vitro and in vivo analyses to understand mechanisms, druggability, and effects on atherosclerosis. In addition to building upon GENIUS I drug targets and leads, we leverage recent innovative advancements to identify new druggable targets within male and female atherosclerotic lesions, as well as in circulating cells. State-of-the-art molecular biology techniques, including single cell sequencing and immunophenotyping, are actively employed to dissect immunometabolic processes within atherosclerotic plaques and patients. These studies will enable us to monitor the presence of drug targets at disease sites, expediting drug design and potentially identifying gender-specific biomarkers to aid disease progression monitoring and diagnosis. Subsequent studies involve testing the efficacy of small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, and siRNA against pre-selected targets from GENIUS I. We have identified small molecules and monoclonal antibodies for five targets, which will undergo toxicity and proof-of-pharmacology studies to progress towards drug development for cardiovascular patients. We have also identified three drugs affecting primary targets from GENIUS I and are assessing their potential to reduce atherosclerotic parameters in First-In-Human clinical trials. Origin This consortium was funded through the Impulse Grant program by the Dutch Heart Foundation. The GENIUS II consortium builds on the most promising targets identified in the GENIUS I consortium, with the goal of advancing these targets towards clinical application.
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Delta Plan Heart Failure

2023
Heart failure is a severe and chronic condition were the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, due to a structural and/or functional abnormality of the heart. It has many different causes, with the most common being hypertension and coronary artery disease. Heart failure is an unpredictable condition with sudden exacerbations of the disease, hospitalization, and will ultimately lead to death. Proper (and early) treatment may improve the symptoms of health failure and may lead to a relatively longer and better quality of life. The origin On the cardiovascular disease research agenda, as drawn up at the initiative of the Dutch Heart Foundation in 2014 and revised in 2020, the themes “Earlier recognition of cardiovascular disease” and “Heart failure” have been placed on the agenda. The DCVA also announced the Delta Plan Heart Failure in the 2022 annual plan. This resulted in the Delta Plan Heart Failure, which is initiated and financed by the Hartstichting, the Netherlands Heart Institute, and the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance. In this national project, healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients have joined forces and will focus on the entire continuum of the disease from prevention to palliative care. The research We expect that burden of disease can largely be reduced by addressing the following key-points: Increasing public awareness of heart failure Early detection of heart failure Stimulating the collaboration among all (different) disciplines within the field of health failure Initiation of research consortia for innovative treatment and management of heart failure patients Furthermore, this project will not only focus on positively influencing survival but also on optimizing the patient’s quality of life and will pursue a strategic and operational approach.
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