Personalized treatment for patients with heart failure and repairing heart damage after a heart attack. These are two of the seven research programs for which the Dutch Heart Foundation is making funds available through an open call. TU/e researchers Natal van Riel and Carlijn Bouten, both from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, are involved in these research programs.
In the Energetic Digital Heart Twin research project, researchers from Amsterdam UMC (AUMC), Maastricht University, Maastricht UMC, Erasmus MC, and TU/e are developing a computer model that simulates the heart's energy production and requirements.
The information from this model helps in the treatment of heart failure. Recent research shows that this disease occurs when the energy the heart needs is not equal to the energy it receives. Various medications are available that can restore this disturbed energy balance; however, doctors are currently unable to predict which one will work best for an individual patient.
Combining the right data
Natal van Riel , Professor of Biomedical Systems Biology, explains how the computer model (digital heart twin) can help with this: "We combine biological data from patients with data on the mechanical properties and muscle function of the heart, as well as energy consumption. With this combined information, we can predict how a specific patient will respond to various treatments, including medications that affect metabolism, drugs that alter heart function, and nutritional advice. This allows each patient to receive the right medication." Van Riel expects that within ten years, this will lead to better, more timely, and more personalized treatment.
Involvement
The project is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2026 and will run for five years. The Dutch Heart Foundation has made €1.5 million available for the research, of which more than €400,000 will go to TU/e. In addition to Van Riel, Shauna O'Donovan is also involved on behalf of TU/e. Professor Jolanda van der Velden (Amsterdam UMC) is the principal applicant for the research project.
Repairing heart damage
FIXIT, Small molecules and MicroRNAs to FIX ischemic Heart Disease, is another research project in which TU/e is involved. It focuses on developing a therapy that stimulates the heart to repair itself. The goal: to restore lost heart muscle tissue and thus help prevent heart failure.
The therapy is being developed and tested in a step-by-step process. Carlijn Bouten , Professor Cell-Matrix Interactions in Cardiovascular Regeneration, explains how TU/e is contributing to this interdisciplinary research project. "We are testing 3D models of human heart tissue in which scarring is simulated. We then investigate whether this actually helps the heart recover more effectively and pump more strongly again. If the results are positive, we will move on to realistic human heart tissue in vitro and an advanced heart model that closely resembles the real human heart." If FIXIT is successful, it could become the first therapy to actually repair heart damage rather than just reduce symptoms.
According to Bouten, the project "fits seamlessly with ongoing research into heart regeneration within our Faculty of Biomedical Engineering." For the project, she is building on results from other research projects in which the professor and her colleagues are involved.
Collaboration
FIXIT is being carried out by an interdisciplinary consortium of researchers, led by Dr. Jan Willem Buikema (Amsterdam UMC, principal applicant) and Prof. Dr. Leon de Windt (Maastricht University), in collaboration with Maastricht UMC+, Leiden UMC (Dr. Jesper Hjortnaes), and TU/e. In addition to Bouten, Marjolein ten Dam (PhD) and Marina Cler (postdoc) from TU/e are also involved in the project.
The consortium will receive a total of €1.5 million from the Dutch Heart Foundation, with more than €300,000 allocated to TU/e. The project is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2026.
