Development of matrix scaffolds to support cardiovascular repair and regeneration

Coronary and peripheral vascular disease are characterised by reduced blood flow leading to irreversible cardiomyocyte loss in the heart and loss of limbs. We will establish a new cell-matrix technology that will enable us to generate ‘instructive’ collagen-based scaffolds. The mechanical properties of these scaffolds will be designed to emulate blood vessels or the heart. Importantly, they will incorporate pore orientation to align cells in a chosen direction and will be seeded with specific protein fragments that will enable progenitor cell attachment, survival and differentiation. This ‘next-generation’ cell-matrix technology will facilitate the replacement or regeneration of diseased vessels and heart.

This site is intended to publicise our BHF New Horizons Research, a collaborative venture between Prof Serena Best, Prof Ruth Cameron (Cambridge Centre for Medical Materials), Dr Sanjay Sinha (Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine) and Prof Richard Farndale (Dept of Biochemistry), all within University of Cambridge.  BHF have adopted this project as part of their Mending Broken Hearts campaign.  The underlying research grant provides a post-doctoral researcher in each group, developing the work of students at CCMM and LRM, and will run until mid-2014.