Our Research Projects

At Enduring Hearts, we envision a world where every child that needs a new heart receives one that lasts a lifetime. Enduring Hearts is the only national nonprofit dedicated to funding critical research to increase longevity and improve the quality of life for children with a transplanted heart. 

Why we fund

For a child who undergoes a life-saving heart transplant, it’s not the end of the journey; it’s just the beginning. While a successful heart transplant offers hope in life, it’s important to know that it’s not a permanent solution. In fact, approximately 500 children receive a heart transplant every year, with the average lifespan of that transplanted heart lasting less than 20 years. While scientific advances have enhanced the graft survival rates during the initial year, long-term survival has only marginally improved.

What drives our research

Since our inception in 2013, Enduring Hearts has dedicated over $10 million to innovative research initiatives. Our mission revolves around several critical areas, including the development of cutting-edge technologies, the establishment of, the establishment of new post-transplant care guidelines, enhancing patient compliance with vital medications, and most importantly, development of less invasive procedures to combat organ rejection.

Our Research Priorities

"CAV"/ Immunology

Improve longevity and the quality of a child's post heart transplant life by reducing/eliminating rejection and cardiac allograft vaculopathy (CAV)

Innovation

Identify and develop
pre-transplant strategies, innovations or new technologies for children waiting for, and/or immediately following, a heart transplant would improve
post-transplant longevity

Longevity

Validate and implement evidence-based strategies to improve longevity of recipients during their adolescence and their transition to adult care

Current Research

MicroRNA Biomarkers of Allograft Rejection in Pediatric Heart Transplantation

Researcher(s):
Jason Goldberg
Institution:
INOVA LJ Murphy Children's Hospital
Year Funded:
2023
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Non-Invasive Early Detection of Coronary Allograft Vasculopathy Using Cardiac Computed Tomography and Fractional Flow Reserve in Children and Young Adults

Researcher(s):
Tarique Hussain
Institution:
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Year Funded:
2023
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Molecular insights into early cardiac allograft vasculopathy using single-nuclear multiomics

Researcher(s):
Kraushik Amancherla
Institution:
Vanderbilt Univeristy
Year Funded:
2023
Funded By:
EH & ISHLT
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Short-term donor heart interventions and long-term outcomes

Researcher(s):
Darren Freed & Jennifer Conway
Institution:
University of Alberta
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant & Additional Ventures
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Ex situ Heart Perfusion for Optimization of Pediatric Donor Organ Utilization: attitudes, feasibility and Methods

Researcher(s):
Oliver Villemain
Institution:
The Hopsital for sick Children
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Thymus cotransplantation to induce heart allograft tolerance

Researcher(s):
Joren Madsen
Institution:
Harvard Medical School
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

The Role of Non-HLA Antibodies in the Development of Antibody Mediated Rejection and Coronary Allograft Vasculopathy in Pediatric Heart Transplantation

Researcher(s):
Joseph Spinner
Institution:
Baylor College of Medicine
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Reducing Transplant Graft Dysfunction Through Targeted Immunosuppression

Researcher(s):
Karim Sallam & Seth Hollander
Institution:
Stanford University School of Medicine
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH & American Heart Association * Collaborative Science Award
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Integrating Multi-parametric Echocardiography with Computer Assisted Analyses in Detection for Early Allograft Rejection in Pediatric Heart Transplant

Researcher(s):
Tara Karamlou
Institution:
Cleveland clinic
Year Funded:
2021
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Circulating Unconventional T Cells in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients: From Pathogenesis to Biomarker

Researcher(s):
Stephanie Nakano
Institution:
University of Colorado
Year Funded:
2022
Funded By:
EH & American Heart Association * Collaborative Science Award
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Improving pediatric donor heart availability through in-depth collaboration between behavioral and clinical sciences.

Researcher(s):
David Bearl
Institution:
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hosptial at Vanderbilt
Year Funded:
2021
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Novel Approaches to Improve the Availability and/or the Quality of Pediatric Donor Hearts

Researcher(s):
James Reynolds
Institution:
Case Western Reserve University
Year Funded:
2020
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant & Additional Ventures
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Human Cell-Derived Endomyocardial Tissue with Functional Cardiomyocytes and Microvasculature: An In Vitro Model for Elucidating Mechanism(s) for IschemiaReperfusion Injury as a Risk Factor for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

Researcher(s):
Sndeep Kewani & Ravi Birla
Institution:
Baylor College of Medicine
Year Funded:
2020
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Clinical Ancillary Study to the TEAMMATE Trial

Researcher(s):
Christopher Almond & Kevin Daly
Institution:
Stanford University School of Medicine
Year Funded:
2021
Funded By:
EH & American Heart Association * Collaborative Science Award
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

MIGHTEE. Motivational Interviewing and Group Heart Transplant Exercise and Education: A Pilot Study

Researcher(s):
Jonathon Edelson
Institution:
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Year Funded:
2021
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

Early Detection of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy in post-transplant Pediatric Hearts via single-cell RNA Sequencing

Researcher(s):
James Martin
Institution:
Baylor College of Medicine
Year Funded:
2021
Funded By:
EH & American Heart Association * Collaborative Science Award
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

CD122 Targeted Theranostic for Detection and Prevention of Heart Transplant Rejection

Researcher(s):
David Mathews
Institution:
Children's Hospital of Atlanta
Year Funded:
2019
Funded By:
EH Direct Grant
Focus Area(s):
CAV / Immunology
Innovation
Longevity

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