# Investigation of a Right Ventricle Based Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel and Cardiac Progenitor Cells as a Treatment for Right Ventricular Heart Failure

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $22,983

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Hypoplastic Left Syndrome (HLHS) has grown to be one of the most devastating congenital heart defects.
Patients born with HLHS have an underdeveloped and dysfunctional left side of the heart and require a series
of palliative interventions to correct the disorder and leave the patient utilizing their right ventricle (RV) as their
main systemic pump. While palliation reduces the mortality of patients, it is still not a cure. Because of the
systemic pressures and volume overload that the RV will now face over the patient’s lifetime, negative RV
remodeling may occur and ultimately lead to heart failure. Negative RV remodeling can also present many of the
same features that are seen in negative left ventricle (LV) remodeling, including hypertrophy and interstitial
fibrosis. An injectable decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogel (MM) derived from porcine left ventricular
myocardium has been shown to reverse negative LV remodeling and improved cardiac function in small and
large animal myocardial infarction models. Additionally, it has been shown that the delivery of cardiac progenitor
cells (CPCs) to the injured ventricle can enhance cardiac repair. The investigation of the individual and
combinatorial properties of a RV based myocardial matrix hydrogel and CPCs as a potential therapy for right
ventricular heart failure is warranted. The hypothesis is as follows: A MM hydrogel as a delivery platform
for CPCs will lead to improved RV function via promoting healthy cardiac metabolism, reducing fibrosis
in the infarct, and preventing cardiac hypertrophy in a rat pulmonary artery band (PAB) model for HLHS
as opposed to either component alone. The hypothesis will be investigated via the following aims. Aim 1: To
develop and characterize a RV derived MM hydrogel and assess the changes in survival, angiogenic and fibrosis
gene expression and angiogenic paracrine signaling of MM encapsulated rat CPCs. Aim 2: To evaluate the
efficacy of a combined therapy of MM hydrogel and rat CPCs and determine mechanism of action of a combined
therapy of MM hydrogel and rat CPCs on relevant cell populations in a rat PAB model.
 The fabrication and characterization of an RV derived MM hydrogel and assessing its influence on CPC
behavior will elucidate if the RV MM has therapeutic potential. Demonstrating the efficacy of the combinatorial
MM/CPC therapy in a model of RVHF after HLHS palliation, will also justify further study into the therapy for
usage to treat the failing RV because of other conditions, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Understanding the mechanism of action of the combinatorial therapy or either of its components alone on key
cell types, will explicate important targets for the future of designing cardiovascular regenerative therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10705000
- **Project number:** 5F31HL158212-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jervaughn D Hunter
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $22,983
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-03-01 → 2023-09-25

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10705000

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10705000, Investigation of a Right Ventricle Based Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel and Cardiac Progenitor Cells as a Treatment for Right Ventricular Heart Failure (5F31HL158212-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10705000. Licensed CC0.

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