UTS researchers use 3D-printed mini hearts to study the effects of COVID-19 on the heart.
The technology uses patient-specific stem cells to create cardiac tissue.
The goal is to understand the mechanisms of heart damage from COVID-19 and develop new therapies.
3D Printing Technology Helps Research COVID-19-Induced Heart Problems
Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed groundbreaking technology to study the effects of COVID-19 on patients with heart disease. This new method uses 3D-printed mini hearts, created from the patients' own stem cells, to repair damage caused by cardiovascular diseases.
The team, led by bioengineer Dr. Carmine Gentile, has developed personalized bioinks from patients' heart stem cells. These bioinks are used in a 3D bioprinter to create cardiac tissues that can repair areas of dead tissue in patients with heart failure.
Given that COVID-19 patients with heart disease have a seven-fold higher mortality rate, the researchers hope to understand why this is the case. This technology could provide a platform to test therapies for heart disease patients exposed to the potentially deadly coronavirus.
"Together with colleagues and experts, we are seeking to identify what the effects of COVID-19 are on the heart," says Dr. Gentile. "We have the tools to study how the heart behaves – we can 3D-bioprint heart tissues that mimic living heart tissues and use them to test the effects of drugs and other agents, including viruses."
COVID-19 primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body, including the heart. One possible mechanism could be the direct impact of the virus on the heart via the ACE-2 protein, found in both the lungs and the heart. Alternatively, a systemic inflammatory response could indirectly damage the heart.
Dr. Gentile leads the Cardiovascular Regeneration Group at UTS, a multidisciplinary team of experts in cardiovascular biology, bioengineering, and biomaterials, along with clinicians such as cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons. They are working to develop personalized therapies for patients suffering from heart failure.
Their 3D-printed, patient-specific cardiac patches are currently in pre-clinical trials and are being used in the lab for drug testing to prevent side effects on patients' hearts.
