HLI researchers receive over $1.86 million from CIHR’s Fall 2024 Project Grant competition.
The Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI) is proud to celebrate the achievements of 3 principal investigators who have been awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants, Fall 2024 competition. This funding will drive innovative research in cardiovascular health, infection and immunity, and transplant medicine, advancing scientific discovery and improving patient outcomes.
Congratulations to the following recipients:
Dr. Scott Tebbutt – $229,500
Metabolomic biomarkers for early detection of acute cellular rejection in heart transplant recipients (HLI Co-investigator: Dr. Chengliang Yang) – CIHR Link
For people with severe heart failure, heart transplantation is a life-saving surgery. However, the body’s immune system may attack the new heart in a condition called acute cellular rejection (ACR). Currently, detecting ACR requires invasive biopsies.
Dr. Scott Tebbutt and HLI Co-investigator Dr. Chengliang Yang are looking into non-invasive blood tests to identify ACR after patients undergo a heart transplant surgery. The development of this test could help doctors quickly identify and treat rejection, improving the health of heart transplant recipients.
Dr. James A. Russell – $719,101
Development of Lipid nanoparticle RNA systems as novel therapeutics for endotoxemia resulting from severe bacterial infections – CIHR Link
Severe bacterial infections, which can lead to pneumonia and sepsis, are leading causes of death worldwide. While antibiotics are essential, some bacteria develop resistance (“superbugs”), making infections harder to treat.
Dr. James A. Russell’s team is developing RNA-based drugs that work by blocking harmful genes or boosting the body’s defenses during infections. These next-generation drugs delivered using lipid nanoparticles, a safe delivery vehicle, could enhance the body’s ability to fight infections, working alongside antibiotics to improve treatment outcomes.
As a commercialization grant, inventions can be patented (IP) and then transferred (“licensed”) to a company called Resolve Nanotherapeutics, that will drive clinical development of these urgently-needed drugs for severe infections.
Dr. Pascal Bernatchez – $914,175
Activation of the chronic endothelial function reserve for the prevention and regression of aortopathies (HLI Co-investigator: Dr. Scott Tebbutt) – CIHR Link
Aortopathies are a group of diseases that affect the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body. These conditions can weaken the aorta’s walls, increasing the risk of life-threatening conditions like tears and aneurysms (ballooning of the vessel). While patients are often given medication to lower blood pressure to reduce the damage, these treatments do not always stop the disease from progressing.
Dr. Pascal Bernatchez and HLI co-investigator Dr. Scott Tebbutt are researching how to activate natural defenses of blood vessels to improve vessel health in aortopathies. Their previous studies suggest that increasing nitric oxide levels—a chemical released naturally in response to blood flow—may better protect blood vessels. They aim to study this further and are also working to develop blood biomarkers that can indicate whether a patient’s treatment is effective. This approach would offer a more precise way to monitor and personalize care.
We congratulate all the awardees on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing their contributions to advancing health research.