This project, involving the University of Ljubljana, the University Medical Center Ljubljana, the Institute of Oncology, and the Jožef Stefan Institute, is developing new methods for treating heart disease using electroporation. By combining knowledge from medicine, artificial intelligence, and numerical modelling, a digital twin platform will be created for accurate, patient-tailored treatment of ventricular arrhythmias and for the regeneration of heart tissue. The project will establish a Slovenian centre for electrophysiological research and, together with its partners, position the University of Ljubljana among the world's leading centres in this field.
Start date
Deadline
Project status
In progress
Content tags
UL VF, UL MF, UL FE, UL FRI
Financing
Large interdisciplinary project UL, UL VF, UL MF, UL FE, UL FRI.
ARIS stable funding, RSF, ref. no.: SN-ZDR/22-27/510, Interdisciplinary research projects selected through an internal call by the University of Ljubljana.
Brief project description
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, accounting for one-third of all deaths in the EU (source: Eurostat for 2022) and representing a growing burden on the healthcare system and society. In addition to four members of the University of Ljubljana, the project also involves the University Medical Center Ljubljana, the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, and the Jožef Stefan Institute. We are developing new methods for treating heart disease based on electroporation. The collaboration of experts from different fields and an interdisciplinary approach will enable us to use the latest artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, advanced medical imaging methods, and numerical modeling to monitor the complex effects of electroporation in heart tissue. We will establish a digital twin platform for accurate and patient-tailored treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. We will be among the first in the world to develop methods for cardiac tissue regeneration using electroporation in two ways: by non-viral delivery of therapeutic genetic material into diseased heart muscle cells to treat heart damage after a heart attack, and by improving the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in heart failure. As part of the project, we will establish a Slovenian center for electrophysiological research, which will make the University of Ljubljana and its partners one of the world's leading centers for the treatment of heart disease using electroporation.
Coordinator
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL FE)
Partners
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana (UL MF)
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana (UL VF)
Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana (UL FRI)
Project value
2.375.000,00 EUR
Responsible person
Prof. Dr. Damijan Miklavčič (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana)