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CDTRP 2024 Research Innovation Grant Competition Results
CDTRP is thrilled to announce the results of the CDTRP 2024 Research Innovation Grant Competition, made possible through our partnership with various esteemed organizations. We are proud to showcase all of the exciting projects that have been funded in this year’s competition.
We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Darren Freed and his team for being awarded the CDTRP ATI/Paladin Research Innovation Grant. We wish them all the best as they embark on their innovative project!
“We congratulate Dr. Darren Freed, a member of the Alberta Transplant Institute, on securing the 2024 CDTRP ATI/Paladin Research Innovation Grant. Optimizing protocols in heart procurement is critical given the scarcity of donor organs. We eagerly anticipate the results of your research on “Endothelial Glycocalyx Integrity During Heart Procurement: Impact of Crystalloid Solutions” and its impact on advancing heart transplantation outcomes.
Once again, congratulations, and we wish you the best in your research endeavors!”
– Alberta Transplant Institute
CDTRP ATI/Paladin Research Innovation Grant: Darren Freed
Endothelial glycocalyx integrity during heart procurement: impact of crystalloid solutions
Main affiliation: University of Alberta
Theme: 3 – Engineer and Allocate Better Grafts
Lay Abstract
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a leading contributor to graft loss and mortality in patients undergoing a heart transplant, with no curative options available and few strategies for prevention. In CAV, the recipient’s immune system appears to attack the vessels of the newly placed heart, eventually leading to severe dysfunction which can give the patient a heart attack. Why CAV occurs is currently unknown. Our novel study will assess for the first time the potential role of cardioplegia, a required solution that is injected into the heart during procurement, in degrading a protective layer called the glycocalyx that normally coats the heart’s vessels. This protective layer has a role in stopping the recipient’s immune system from sensing the new heart, which can help prevent rejection and help mitigate CAV. Previous studies have shown that this protective layer can be disturbed by the fluids that are provided to the patient during surgery, however none have acknowledged that the cardioplegia solution can also act in a similar fashion to degrade this protective layer. In our study, we will see whether cardioplegia contributes to breaking down the glycocalyx, and we will compare different types of cardioplegia solution to see if certain ingredients can better preserve this protective layer during procurement. By investigating novel formulations of cardioplegia, we can develop better strategies that help protect the vessels of heart transplant recipients so they experience less rejection, and get to keep the heart they’ve received for longer.