LEAP-HI: Coordinated Advances in Reproductive Engineering for Health Research (CARE4HeR)

LEAP-HI：健康研究生殖工程的协调进展 (CARE4HeR)

• 批准号: 2053851
• 负责人: Raffaella De Vita
• 金额: $ 200万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2053851&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: LEAP; HI; Coordinated; Advances; Reproductive

The overall goal of this Leading Engineering for America's Prosperity, Health, and Infrastructure (LEAP-HI) Coordinated Advances in Reproductive Engineering for Health Research (CARE4HeR) project is to address the alarming healthcare challenges associated with pregnancy and childbirth by integrating novel and transformative approaches in experimental, theoretical, and computational mechanics. Pregnancy and childbirth can have tragic and devastating effects on the health, wellness, and quality of life of many women, children, and families. The maternal mortality rate in the United States (US) is rising, even as other developed countries experience a decline in pregnancy-related deaths. Preterm birth is very common: 500,000 babies are born preterm every year in the US. Complicated vaginal deliveries make up 16 percent of all childbirths in the US annually, and they represent primary risk factors for the development of pelvic floor disorders. These disorders affect 25 percent of all women, leading to not only physical pain but also social isolation, depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction. Large racial and ethnic disparities exist, with higher rates in maternal mortality and preterm birth among African Americans. Although several factors undoubtedly play a role, alterations of the mechanical function of reproductive tissues throughout pregnancy significantly contribute to pregnancy-related and childbirth-related complications: (a) most maternal birth injuries are due to excessive tissue stretching, (b) spontaneous preterm birth is attributed to loss of tissue structural integrity, and (c) pelvic floor disorders develop as a result of compromised tissue support.State-of-the-art experimental methods will be employed to characterize the fascinating mechanical interplay of the uterus, cervix, and vagina, both in vivo and ex vivo, in the murine model. These include biaxial inflation testing with digital image correlation, multiphoton microscopy, biochemistry, three-dimensional ultrasound, and high-precision magnetic resonance imaging techniques. A new constitutive framework will be developed to describe the experimentally-observed mechanical properties of reproductive organs, including the remarkable remodeling during pregnancy and postpartum. High-fidelity and robust finite element models will be created and validated using the new experimental data to study the anatomically complex function of the female pelvic system during pregnancy and parturition, offering a new, non-invasive risk detection method for women's health. The PIs will facilitate and nurture vibrant interactions among researchers in engineering and healthcare professionals by organizing symposia and conference sessions, serving as guest-editors for special issues in peer-reviewed journals, and publishing various types of scientific publications. This CARE4HeR project will support the creation of innovative research and unique educational opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, especially from racial and ethnic minorities. This CARE4HeR project will break down the existing silos in reproductive biomechanics, streamlining research operations and accelerating progress and innovation in women’s reproductive health. New resources, ranging from cutting-edge experimental methodologies to novel constitutive models and high-fidelity simulation tools, will be created that can be used by both the engineering and medical communities to address the urgent US women’s reproductive health needs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个领先的工程为美国的繁荣，健康和基础设施（LEAP-HI）协调进展生殖工程健康研究（CARE 4 HeR）项目的总体目标是通过整合实验，理论和计算力学的新颖和变革性的方法来解决与怀孕和分娩相关的令人担忧的医疗保健挑战。怀孕和分娩可能对许多妇女、儿童和家庭的健康、福祉和生活质量产生悲惨和毁灭性的影响。美国的孕产妇死亡率正在上升，尽管其他发达国家的妊娠相关死亡率有所下降。早产非常普遍：在美国每年有50万婴儿早产。复杂的阴道分娩占美国每年分娩总数的16%，它们是骨盆底疾病发展的主要危险因素。这些疾病影响了25%的女性，不仅导致身体疼痛，还导致社会孤立，抑郁，焦虑和性功能障碍。种族和族裔差异很大，非裔美国人的孕产妇死亡率和早产率较高。虽然有几个因素无疑发挥了作用，但整个妊娠期间生殖组织机械功能的改变显著有助于妊娠相关和分娩相关并发症：（a）大多数产妇分娩损伤是由于过度的组织拉伸，（B）自发性早产归因于组织结构完整性的丧失，以及（c）由于组织支持受损而导致骨盆底疾病的发生。将采用最先进的实验方法来表征子宫、宫颈和阴道在体内和体外的迷人的机械相互作用，in the murine鼠model模型.这些包括数字图像相关的双轴膨胀测试、多光子显微镜、生物化学、三维超声和高精度磁共振成像技术。一个新的组成框架将被开发来描述实验观察到的生殖器官的机械性能，包括显着的重塑在怀孕期间和产后。将使用新的实验数据创建并验证高保真和强大的有限元模型，以研究女性骨盆系统在怀孕和分娩期间的解剖学复杂功能，为女性健康提供一种新的非侵入性风险检测方法。PI将通过组织研讨会和会议，担任同行评审期刊特刊的客座编辑，以及出版各种类型的科学出版物，促进和培养工程和医疗保健专业人员研究人员之间充满活力的互动。这个CARE 4 HeR项目将支持为高中，本科和研究生，特别是少数民族学生创造创新研究和独特的教育机会。这个CARE 4 HeR项目将打破生殖生物力学的现有孤岛，简化研究操作，加速妇女生殖健康的进步和创新。新的资源，从尖端的实验方法到新颖的本构模型和高保真的模拟工具，将被创建，可用于工程和医学界，以解决紧迫的美国妇女的生殖健康需求。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

项目成果

Foundational science and mechanistic insights for a shared disease model: an expert consensus : Developed by the AUGS Basic Science Subcommittee and IUGA Special Interest Group.

• DOI: 10.1007/s00192-022-05253-y
• 发表时间: 2022-06
• 期刊: International urogynecology journal
• 影响因子: 1.8