10072784TVALABClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKSantorini Scientific, a small UK company, focuses on improving cardiac transplant outcomes. The objective of this project is to initiate successful application of a novel innovative T-cell therapy approach to manage post-transplant rejection. 10% of the 150,000 organ transplant patients annually succumb to rejection in the first three years after a transplant, and all are vulnerable to kidney toxicity and complications related to immunosuppression. Current research and clinical trials primarily focus on kidney and lung transplants, but SSL is motivated to address the problem of rejection and immunosuppressant regime by developing an autologous T-cell therapy for heart transplant patients. The aim of this project is to establish a proof-of-concept study and involves developing a lab-based tool for the assessment of prevention of cardiac rejection using a flow system set-up. It is designed to be conducted in three phases, of which two are set to be achieved during this funding. A healthy heart model will be established and then challenged to depict a model of rejection. Biomarkers identified as indicative of rejection from Santorini's database of biomarkers will be screened for in both these models. Developing the model for the heart opens the possibility of screening and accelerating other treatments in the future of heart and other organs. Successful delivery of this project is a stepping stone towards delivering T-cell therapy that can aid in reducing the clinical burden on the NHS whilst also saving thousands of pounds in the process and reducing the dependency on animal testing for researchers.