# Harnessing the Benefits of Adult Stem Cell Exosomes for Enhancing Cardiac Contractile Function

> **NIH NIH K01** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $140,227

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The candidate holds an MD with specialty in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery; she has a proven
track record of research productivity and publications in leading journals in the fields of Vascular Surgery,
Cardiovascular Medicine, and Tissue Engineering. The candidate's immediate objectives are to focus her
efforts on the application and improvement of engineered cardiac tissues as a species-specific 3D platform to
identify potential cardiotherapeutic agents, with the long-term goal of gaining independence as an investigator
in biomedical research combining stem cell and tissue engineering technologies for the development of novel
cardiovascular therapies. To accomplish this, the candidate and her mentoring team have crafted a 5-year
synergistic career development plan and research strategy with the goal of establishing essential knowledge,
skills and experience to transition to a tenure-track faculty position in biomedical research.
 The associated individualized research career training plan builds on the candidate's advanced
experience with engineered cardiac tissues, stem cells, and surgical expertise, while addressing specific gaps
in biomedical techniques and professional skills. The primary mentor is Dr. Kevin Costa, Director of
Cardiovascular Cell and Tissue Engineering at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), whose
integrated bioengineering approach to cardiac cell and tissue mechanobiology research is essential to the
Specific Aims. The co-mentor, Dr. Roger Hajjar, is Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC)
and the Arthur and Janet C. Ross Professor of Medicine at ISMMS; he complements and enhances the
training plan with world renowned expertise in cardiovascular translational research and mentorship which is
ideally suited to guide the candidate's career development trajectory. The CVRC at Mount Sinai offers a rich
environment for researcher development to facilitate productivity and cover all requirements of the Specific
Aims. The career development plan focuses on a 3-tiered approach: 1) mentorship from a multidisciplinary
group of experienced faculty and a candidate-specific tailored didactic program, 2) acquisition of professional
survival skills and 3) a plan for structured transition to independence.
 The research objective of this award is to test the hypothesis that exosomes from mesenchymal stem
cells as well as cardiac progenitor cells mediate the paracrine effects on enhancement of cardiac function after
injury. Human engineered cardiac tissues will be used to test the effects of these exosomes for the first time on
a species-specific model in a biologically controlled environment. Testing will also be conducted in vivo for
assessment of the applicability of the in vitro findings. Lastly, exosomes will be processed for microRNA
microarray to identify potential therapeutic candidates that may provide the benefits of stem cell therapy while
circumventing the administration of li...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9991892
- **Project number:** 5K01HL133424-05
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Irene Cal y Mayor-Turnbull
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $140,227
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9991892

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9991892, Harnessing the Benefits of Adult Stem Cell Exosomes for Enhancing Cardiac Contractile Function (5K01HL133424-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9991892. Licensed CC0.

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