Robert Passier from UTwente received a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced grant of 2.5 million Euro for his research on Advanced human models of the heart to understand cardiovascular disease (Heart2Beat).
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Current traditional experimental in vitro and animal models for studying it are not effective enough to develop new treatments. That’s why Heart2Beat is creating advanced 3D human cardiac models using innovative technology, including human stem cell biology and engineering
Passier’s goal is to create a functional human mini-heart that is able to actually pump fluid like a real heart. This and other first-of-its-kind advanced 3D human cardiac models and platforms can be used for (ultra)high throughput screening and in-depth multifunctional pre-clinical analysis of healthy and diseased heart tissues. This will enable us to better understand cardiovascular diseases and identify druggable targets. Successful implementation of this cutting-edge research will lead to personalized medicine and better treatments for patients suffering from heart disease.
Source: UTwente
