Faculty News
"Development of an Artificial Placenta: Effect of Pumpless Arteriovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation on Fetal Circulation"
James Grotberg, MD, PhD and George Mychaliska, MD
2008 funding: $100,000; funding to date $200,000
500,000 premature births occur each year in the United States and these are associated with substantial infant mortality and escalating costs. The complications of premature birth result in substantial respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune and central nervous system morbidity to the premie. Although incremental progress has been made in treating premature infants, effective treatment options don't exist. A major innovation in treatment of prematurity would be to recreate the fetal environment as part of the treatment strategy or in other words, create an artificial placenta. Scientists and doctors at the University of Michigan have now been able to master the technology and the expertise to comprehensively develop an artificial placenta.
The Grotberg/Mychaliska team has the experience and expertise in developing novel forms of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS), including the facility and recourses to maintain animal models for many weeks of extracorporeal support. The team has developed a maternal-fetal sheep model with preliminary data demonstrating the feasibility to address this problem. Funding from the Coulter Foundation in 2007 allowed them to develop the complex fetal sheep model, characterize maternal and fetal physiology, and identify the limiting factors in establishing Arteriovenous Extracorporeal Life Support (AV-ECLS). Based on in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, they have established the need for a pump driven system and for cannulation of the aorta with the umbilical cannulas. Studies based on Coulter Foundation funding will be presented at a national meeting, and preliminary data is sufficient for competitive extramural funding.
In addition to their core team of bioengineers and clinicians experienced with this project, they have a pediatric surgeon and fetal echocardiographer joining the team. One of their main goals for this year is to perform 24 hours of support with AV-ECLS.
A list of all the U-M Coulter funded projects is found on the UM BME Coulter Site.
Posted on August 4, 2008, 3:16 pm