Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells seeded graft for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot/Pulmonary Atresia

Heart defects are diagnosed in at least 1 in 150 births – that's an average of 13 babies each day in the UK.

Babies born with heart problems like Tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary atresia often need to undergo corrective surgery using replacement grafts.

Despite being lifesaving, these replacement grafts are non-biological, meaning they do not grow alongside the babies and often fail within a few months or years. For these reasons, many children have to return to hospital to undergo further open-heart surgery, which can be risky.

Professor Massimo Caputo and his team have made a new type of living graft containing mesenchymal cells, which has the potential to adapt and grow with a child’s heart as it develops. In this project, the team will test the growth and performance of the mesenchymal cell grafts over time.

If successful, Professor Caputo will ensure that the grafts are of suitable quality for human use so that in the future the team can test the grafts safety in young children undergoing essential congenital heart surgery.

While life-saving heart reconstruction has allowed children born with congenital defects to lead healthier lives, many children have to return to hospital for more surgery.

Professor Caputo’s research could identify new ways to encourage heart grafts to ‘grow’ alongside their owners, reducing the need for further complex and risky surgeries.