The ELR SCAR project (HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-13, ID: 101091766. 2022- 2026) is a pioneering project (HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-13, ID: 101091766. 2022-2026) coordinated by the University of Galway that seeks the development of a new biogel composed of optimized elastin-type recombinamers for the prevention of formation of scar tissue after episodes of myocardial infarction.
TPNBT will be in charge of the (bio)production of this type of protein polymers under strict GMP conditions, which allow their use in the pre-clinical trials included as one of the main objectives of this project.
MI is the endpoint of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). In Europe, the highest rates of IHD worldwide equal ~26.5 million patients. Standards of care interventions after MI have serious limitations in treatment efficacy (many patients are still at risk of developing heart failure) and patient safety. There is a clear medical need for new treatment solutions that prevent scar tissue formation and irreversible cardiac remodelling.
Robust preclinical dataset so far indicates that the ELR hydrogel has this promising functionality via multiple unique characteristics: it provides selective cell adhesion to the endocardium, providing a barrier to scar tissue formation; it offers high biospecificity to the ischaemic microenvironment, and it has an enhanced biodegradability, allowing for safe disintegration in the body.