Inova Schar Heart and Vascular receives $1.4 million pediatric heart transplant research grant

Fairfax, VA — A research team at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular recently received nearly $1.4 million to develop a new blood test that doctors can use to optimize the immunosuppression medications needed after pediatric heart transplant. The team will be led by Palak Shah, MD, MS, Director of the Inova Cardiovascular Genomics Center and Medical Director for mechanical circulatory support for Inova’s Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Program.   

The grant will support research over a four-year timespan and is co-funded by the American Heart Association (AHA) and Enduring Hearts, the only non-profit organization solely dedicated to funding pediatric heart transplant research. Inova will lead a multicenter consortium of five pediatric centers in the U.S. conducting this research. The award is intended to fund investigators who are committed to conducting research directly related to improving the life expectancy and quality of life of pediatric heart transplant recipients.

More than 15 to 20% of transplant patients suffer from acute rejection of their new heart in the first year. It’s important that patients receive treatments that balance the risk of complications such as infection against potential organ rejection. The Inova-led study seeks to determine if a molecule called a microRNA can help in that process. The goal is to personalize the dose of medications a patient needs to adequately suppress their immune system and reduce the risk of rejecting the new heart while also preventing infections from developing from over suppression of the immune system.

According to Enduring Hearts, nearly 500 children undergo a heart transplant in the U.S. each year.  The average pediatric heart transplant lasts less than 20 years and, despite medical advances, many of these children and their families currently face a lifetime of challenges.

“Our Inova team is honored to receive this competitive award that will help improve the quality of life and long-term survival for our youngest heart transplant patients,” said Dr. Shah.  “We look forward to making a significant contribution to developing post-transplant surveillance blood tests that will improve outcomes and advance innovation in this field.”

In 2021, Dr. Shah received the James T. Willerson Award in Clinical Research, a national award that recognizes the best clinical science paper published in Circulation, a major academic journal of the AHA. That article described findings of a DNA-based blood test to detect rejection weeks to months before other clinical tools, even when there were no outward signs of rejection. The new, less invasive test performed better than the traditional clinical practice, which required frequent and painful biopsies of heart tissue that can damage the heart and are less reliable. In addition to Inova, the research team included investigators from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

###

About Inova                                                              

We are Inova, Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider. With expertise and compassion, we partner with our patients to help them stay healthy. We treat illness, heal injury and look at a patient’s whole health to help them flourish. Through our expansive network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, and outpatient services, Inova provides care for more than one million unique patients every year.  Total patient visits exceed four million annually, demonstrating our ability to deliver the best clinical care and ensuring a seamless experience for all who rely on us for their healthcare needs. Consistently ranked and recognized as a national healthcare leader in safety, quality and patient experience, Inova’s world-class care is made possible by the strength and breadth of our network, our 24,000 team members, our technology and our innovation. Inova is home to Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and provides high-quality healthcare to every person in every community we are privileged to serve – regardless of ability to pay – every day of their life. More information about Inova can be found at www.inova.org.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 – our Centennial year – we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

The American Heart Association has funded more than $5.7 billion in lifesaving cardiovascular research since 1949.

The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are available here.

About Enduring Hearts

Enduring Hearts is a national nonprofit that launched in 2013 to fund innovative research globally to improve longevity and the quality of life for children living with a heart transplant.  Enduring Hearts has funded over $10M in targeted pediatric heart transplant research. Enduring Hearts provides a variety of programs to offer both tangible and educational support to families during their transplant. Connect with us on enduringhearts.org, Facebook or X.

For Media Inquiries:

• Inova: Tracy Connell, tracy.connell@inova.org
• American Heart Association: Cathy Lewis, cathy.lewis@heart.org
• Enduring Hearts: Jazmine Charles, jcharles@enduringhearts.org
• For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721), heart.org and stroke.org