# A dual 3D bioprinting platform for engineering a thick anisotropic myocardial tissue with geometric vasculature

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $492,531

## Abstract

A dual 3D bioprinting platform for engineering a thick anisotropic myocardial tissue with geometric
vasculature
Project summary
 Cardiovascular disease associated with myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide. Adult cardiac muscle is thought to lack the ability to repair and regenerate after MI. Additionally, the
death of cardiomyocytes stemming from MI activates an irreversible cascade of events leading to heart failure.
Stem cell technologies, biomaterials, and various bioengineering approaches have been used to develop
functional human-engineered tissue, which ultimately can serve to revolutionize the treatment of the damaged
heart. The heart is a complicated, multicellular tissue with hierarchical, structural, and multifunctional
characteristics. As such, this tissue presents a huge challenge to replicate through traditional tissue engineering
approaches. Based on an anatomical and physiological understanding of cardiac tissue, one crucial challenge
in cardiac tissue engineering is replicating the complex architecture (anisotropic myocardial fibers and geometric
vasculature) within a cardiac tissue construct and improving its functional maturation. Thus, the objective of
this project is to develop a novel advanced dual 3D bioprinting platform and multiple biomechanical
stimulation strategies for engineering a novel thick, functional myocardial tissue with anisotropic
myocardial fibers and geometric vasculature. Three specific aims of this project are: (1) to fabricate
anisotropic myocardial constructs with geometric vasculature via dual 3D bioprinting, (2) to conduct a systemic
investigation of hemodynamic behaviors and cell responses for the vascularized myocardial construct under
rhythmic mechanical stimulation, and (3) to perform a functional evaluation with an in vivo pig MI model. We
expect that innovatively integrating a dual 3D bioprinting platform with biomechanical stimulation will create a
functional cardiac tissue with myocardial beating and mature microcirculation for MI treatment. If successful, it
will contribute to the prevention of post-infarction ventricular remodeling and the restoration of normal cardiac
function. Furthermore, it will not only help patients who are suffering from extensive physical and emotional pain
to fight and win the battle against heart failure, but will revolutionize current bioengineering research, leading to
a long-term solution for advanced clinical therapeutics.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10776141
- **Project number:** 1R01HL171317-01
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Muhammad M Mohiuddin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $492,531
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2028-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10776141

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10776141, A dual 3D bioprinting platform for engineering a thick anisotropic myocardial tissue with geometric vasculature (1R01HL171317-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10776141. Licensed CC0.

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